Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Part 1: Daddy's Girl

It was a dark evening with a chill in the air. In a sterile, eerily quiet hospital waiting room sat Joseph Beaufort, twenty-four years old, beginner boxer at the WVBA, and possibly a father.

It had been such a normal day; he'd just been at his home, reorganizing his bookshelf and writing down a reminder to buy milk when he'd gotten a phone call from the hospital. A nurse had, as gently as possible, explained that the woman he could barely remember having a one-night stand with over a year ago had passed away, and that she had spent her last few moments claiming he was the father of her four month old baby.

In the car, he felt tense, like a stone that could crumble at any minute. Even now, he was stiff with anxiety. A million questions were racing through his head. What if he isn't the father? What if he is? How will he continue his career? What if the baby didn't like him?

"Joseph?"

He looked up. That same nurse was sitting in the chair next to him. "We're almost done. Just hang tight until then."

"D'accord," he mumbled. He felt a little lightheaded. Je suis trop jeune pour être père! Je ne suis pas prêt! Je suis- (I'm too young to be a father! I'm not ready! I'm-)

His train of thought came to a screeching halt when he heard a door closing. Two doctors entered the room; one wore braids and glasses and was carrying a clipboard, while the other was a tall man holding a baby wearing a pink onesie. "It's a match," said the doctor with glasses.

Oh mon Dieu. Le bébé c'est mon. (Oh my god. The baby's mine.)

The tall doctor handed Joe the baby, a little girl with big brown eyes and wispy auburn hair; his auburn hair. "You know, I sort of suspected you were the father the second I saw that telltale red hair," said the nurse. "All of her mother's side is the bright, golden blonde."

Joe didn't answer. He was enraptured by the tiny bundle in his arms. He barely ever held babies, and now here he was! And this was his baby! All of the anxieties he'd had about being a father melted away, and he found himself chuckling. "Bonjour," he said in an airy voice. "Bonjour ma p'tite belle." (Hello. Hello, my little darling.)

The baby stared up at him. She didn't quite understand why this strange man that she'd never seen before was showing her the same amount of love and affection as Mommy did. She reached out and grabbed onto his nose.

Joe held her tight. No matter what, he was going to take care of this little girl.

He was going to be the best damn dad he could be.

"We just need you to sign the birth certificate," said the nurse, handing him the document. From this, he learned that his daughter's name was Katrina Melody, and she was born on July 7th. There was a blank space under the line left for her second parent. So there he signed, "Joseph Beaufort".

"Tu es un Beaufort maintenant, Katie," said Joe to Katrina. "Et tu vas être le meilleur Beaufort qu'on jamais vu." (You're a Beaufort now, Katie. And you're going to be the best Beaufort we've ever seen.) He kissed her forehead, and Katrina giggled.

Part 2: First Night Home

After spending some time in the maternity ward to get the hang of caring for his baby, and waiting on the items that the woman (who he now knew was named Heather) wanted him to have, Joe was now arriving home at the apartment complex he lived in. He unbuckled Katrina from her car seat and held her tight as he picked up a box out of the trunk and walked inside, shielding her from the cold November wind.

"Bienvenue chez toi." (Welcome home.)

He couldn't help but sigh as he entered the apartment. It was small and ramshackle; just barely enough room for both him and that odd roommate of his who he could never remember the name of. It was so dismal, he couldn't stand living here.

"Ce n'est pas beaucoup, mais c'est...quelque chose." (It's not much, but it's something.)

Why was he being bashful? She's a baby, she doesn't care!

Ça compte pour moi, bon sang! (It matters to me, dammit!) He couldn't raise a child here. Over his dead body!

The trouble was, how was he going to get outta there?

Simple; he would have to move.

He had plenty of time to find a new place to live; the WVBA had granted him two months of paternity leave. And that roommate would be happy to have the space to give to his girlfriend.

He sat down, with Katrina in his lap, and opened his laptop to house-hunt. Katrina made a little "yaya" noise at the screen. She was quite chatty for such a young baby.

After a bit of clicking around, he found a lovely two-story house close to an elementary school, with a spacious front yard, basic furnishing, and an internet connection already set up. And at such a great price! That was the perfect home for a family of two.

Seeing as it was pretty late at night, he figured it was best to head to bed. He opened the box and set up the bedside bassinet on his bed. He laid Katrina down for the night, and tucked himself in next to her. He watched over his little daughter as she fell asleep, which helped him drift off into his own little dreamland. Soon, they would be somewhere where skies were blue and the grass was much greener.

Part 3: New Home

A gentle snow was falling over the city; the perfect background for arriving at a new home. Joe, with Katrina in his arms, stepped into the entryway and looked around. Yes, this was absolutely the perfect home. As soon as he got the boxes out of the trunk, it would feel like he'd been there all his life.

He got Katrina into her baby carrier to go unpack the boxes from the car. There weren't very many, so he was able to get them all inside in only about ten minutes, without needing to put Katrina down anywhere.

He unstrapped Katrina from the carrier and sat down on the couch. He held up his hand in an attempt to teach her how to high-five. Like clockwork, Katrina raised her hand and booped it against his. Joe chuckled. "Bon travail, ma fille." (Good work, my girl.)

Katrina grinned and babbled. Joe engaged her by getting her to repeat certain sounds. "Pa-pa. Je suis papa". (Da-da. I'm Daddy.)

"Baba," said Katrina.

Joe shrugged. "Eh bien, c'est si proche." (Well, it's close enough.)

A few weeks later, it was December. There was much more snow, and Christmas would soon be there. Joe had put up the tree, which Katrina stared and marveled over at any opportunity.

There was a knock at the door. Joe went to answer, and there was his mother and favourite uncle waiting.

"Salut, maman et oncle Gabriel," said Joe. Katrina stared at the visitors with awe in her eyes.

Amélie was overjoyed to finally meet her granddaughter. She scooped her up and cuddled her. "Oh, tu es la plus précieuse au monde! Oui, tu es tellement jolie!" (Oh, you are the most precious thing in the world! Yes, you are so cute!)

Uncle Gabriel, in the meantime, hugged his nephew. "Comment as-tu aimé ta nouvelle maison?" (How do you like your new house?)

"C'est parfait," said Joe. (It's perfect.) He picked up Katrina and herded his guests into the kitchen for dinner. 

"Alors, ton travail c'est fait bien?" Uncle Gabriel asked Joe. (So, your job is going well?)

"Oui," said Joe, "mais j'ai quelques semaines pour être avec ma petite princesse." (Yes, but I have a couple weeks to be with my little princess.) Joe gently tweaked Katrina's cheeks. Katrina squeal-giggled. 

The oven beeped, announcing that dinner was complete. Joe took a potholder and pulled out a tray of cheese gratin. He set it on the table and cut it up for everyone to eat.

"Joseph, je suis tellement fière de toi," said Amélie. "Tu as un bon travail, une belle maison, et la plus parfaite fille au monde." (Joseph, I'm so proud of you. You have a good job, a beautiful house, and the most perfect daughter in the world.)

Joe chuckled, beaming with pride. "C'est ma vie!" (That's my life!)

Part 4: The Arena

It was a bright, frosty January day. Joe was heading into his first match following the end of his paternity leave, which of course meant introducing Katrina to the arena and the league.

"Ceci c'est le travail de papa," he explained as he walked inside. "Je suis un boxeur pour l'Association Mondiale pour le Boxe Vidéo." (This is Daddy's work. I'm a boxer for the World Video Boxing Association.)

Katrina looked around at everything. She seemed very interested in the arena.

Joe entered the lounge room. Inside, his close friend, Viktor Von Kaiser, and the referee, Pierce, were talking. They were both happy to see Joe again and meet his daughter.

"Hallo, kleines mädchen," said Von Kaiser to Katrina. "Ich bin der Lieblingsfreund deines Vaters." (Hi, little girl. I'm your dad's favourite friend.)

"She looks just like you," said Pierce, upon seeing Katrina's brown eyes and auburn hair. Katrina grinned and waved her hand around. Pierce turned back to Joe. "You're a lucky guy. This arena offers a back room where kids can stay while their parents are in a match."

"Ca c'est fantastique," said Joe. "Je ne pense pas qu'elle soit prête pour regarder un match." (That's fantastic. I don't think she's ready to watch a match just yet.) He turned to Katrina, and started up a game with her. "Je t'ai volé ton nez!" (Got your nose!)

Katrina squealed, and swiped at Joe's fist, trying to get her "nose" back. And of course, he did eventually give it back. "Oh, tu es une drôle de fille," he chuckled, kissing her forehead. (Oh, you're a funny girl.)

Chapter Text

It was a cloudy day in late January. Joe was just about to put Katrina down for a nap when the phone rang. He picked up. "Bonjour?"

"Hi, is this Joseph?" A female voice asked.

"Oui," said Joe, confused.

"My name is Lizzie, I'm a friend of Heather's. I've finally been able to scrounge together a memorial service for her. Would you like to come?"

Why, of course. Joe was actually a bit surprised he hadn't gotten this phone call sooner. "Je vais être là." (I will be there.) After a few more polite words with Lizzie, he hung up the phone to put Katrina down.

"Bagaga?" Katrina babbled to her daddy.

Joe, not really paying attention, sighed. "Oui, ma belle." (Yes, sweetie.)

When Saturday evening came around, Joe, with Katrina in her carrier, arrived at a nice park with a gentle willow hanging over a bench. Nearby, a few people were talking kindly with each other. When he arrived, they all looked over and came to coo over the baby.

"You must be Joseph," said a woman with curly brown hair; Joe suspected this must be Lizzie. "I really appreciate that you took the baby."

"Eh bien, elle est ma fille aussi," said Joe, "elle est ma responsabilité." (Well, she's my daughter too, she's my responsibility.)

Once everyone Lizzie invited had arrived, she handed everyone a little blue candle, and they stood in a circle. "We are gathered here tonight to honour the memory of Heather Sanders. She was a dear friend to us all, she brought light to our lives, and it is on us to keep the light shining."

She nodded to the woman standing next to her, a tall woman with bushy, neck-length auburn hair. "I was Heather's roommate," she said. "I was by her side through everything. I helped her get to work, to the doctor's for ultrasounds, I helped her grocery shop…"

She pursed her lips with tears forming in her big green eyes, clearly too distraught to continue. She passed the attention to the man next to her. Joe took a closer look; why, that was Hoy Quarlow! He had seen his picture in the WVBA Hall of Fame. He didn't know he was a friend of Heather's. Hoy stepped forward. "I lived not far from Heather. She was a kind woman; she often came over and we had dinner together. Her life was a blessing."

Things were silent for a moment, until Joe realized it was his turn to speak. "Je ne savais pas Heather pour beaucoup de temps..." He paused, thinking of the best thing to say. "...mais je suis reconnaissant pour notre temps ensemble et pour la belle fille qu'elle me donne." (I didn't know Heather for long...but I'm grateful for our time together and for the beautiful daughter she gave me.)

Joe didn't pay much attention to the other eulogies; he instead held Katrina tight, making sure to keep the candle's flame safely away from her. He felt terrible that she was going to have to grow up without her mommy, but alas, it was the hand that life dealt them.

When the last loving goodbye had been spoken, Lizzie guided all the guests to raise their candles. "To Heather."

"To Heather!" All of the candles were raised in the air until the wind blew out the very last one.

Joe felt strange when he arrived home. He felt like he didn't belong at a memorial for someone he barely knew.

…But then, Katrina knew her mother very well for the short time she was there.

He sighed and sat on the couch with his daughter cradled in his arms. He didn't really know what to feel.

He soon received a message from Lizzie.

Elizabeth sent: Seriously, thank you for coming. It means a lot to me. Heather's family all cut her out, so I was really appreciative to have at least someone there who really loved her. (8:04 pm)

Loved? Joe wasn't quite sure he could say he loved Heather. After all, they had only met once, for one night. Rather, he would say he appreciated her, for caring for his daughter until her untimely demise. Still, he was happy he had helped Lizzie with her grief.

Joseph sent: ❤ (8:06 pm)

Chapter Text

It was a frosty February morning with a warm sun promising to melt those ice crystals away. Von Kaiser was just coming out of the locker room when he saw Joe push through the doors with Katrina in his arms. They both looked exhausted. Von Kaiser went over to them. "Du siehst müde aus, geht es dir gut?" (You look tired, are you feeling okay?)

"Elle est poussée les dents," mumbled Joe, rubbing his eyes, "alors elle ne peut pas dormir. Et quand elle ne peut pas dormir, elle pleure, et quand elle pleure, je ne peux pas dormir." (She's teething, so she can't sleep. And when she can't sleep, she cries, and when she cries, I can't sleep.)

Von Kaiser thought for a moment, and guided Joe to the lounge room. "Hier. Leg dich für ein Nickerchen hin, und ich hole dem Baby etwas zum Kauen." (Here. You lay down for a nap, and I'll get the baby something to chew on.)

"Merci," mumbled Joe, as he drifted off. (Thank you.)

With that, Von Kaiser brought Katrina to the children's room, where there was a box with a few teething toys. He picked up a pink rubber dolphin and handed it to Katrina, who instantly put it in her mouth and gnawed on it.

Katrina was still rather fussy, and who could blame her? Teething hurts! So Von Kaiser bounced her on his lap. "Es ist in Ordnung. Neue Zähne zu bekommen ist hart, oder?" (It's alright. Getting new teeth is rough, eh?)

And then all of a sudden, Katrina stopped. She went quiet, and took the teething toy out of her mouth. She looked up at her big friend and grinned. And what should be there but two little bottom teeth!

"Sehen Sie, los geht's," said Von Kaiser. "Alles erledigt." (See, there we go. All done.)

About half an hour later, Katrina needed to be fed, so Von Kaiser went back to the lounge to find Joe, who was just waking up from his nap.

"Jetzt sollte es ihr gut gehen," said Von Kaiser, handing Katrina back to her father. (She should be fine now.)

Once she was in his arms, Katrina grinned at Joe to show him her teeth as well.

"Félicitations, ma belle," cooed Joe sleepily. (Good for you, darling.) Realizing that it was a bit past ten o'clock, he pulled a bottle out of his duffel bag to feed his daughter.

Chapter Text

So here it was; June 21st. It was Joe's first Father's Day as an actual father. He was going up to his mother's for the day; Father's Day always made her gloomy.

When he arrived, he knocked at the door, and Amélie came to answer. "Bonjour, Joseph. Salut, Katie."

"Bonjour, Maman." Joe came inside, and let Amélie take Katrina.

"Gamma!" Katrina grinned as her grandmother hugged her.

"Viens, Joe," said Amélie, "on va cuire les biscuits." (Come on, Joe, we're going to bake some cookies.) She handed Katrina back to her son, who put her in her carrier, and they began to make dough.

About twenty minutes later, once the cookies were in the oven, Amélie and Joe sat on the couch to play a flash card game with the baby. "Quelle carte est rouge?" (Which card is red?)

Katrina reached for the red card. "Bon travail," said Joe. (Good work.)

Amélie looked up at Joe. "Joseph, vraiment, je suis fière de toi pour être là pour ta fille. Ton…" She pursed her lips. "...ton père peut jamais." (Joseph, really, I'm proud of you for being there for your daughter. Your…your father could never.)

Joe sighed. He'd heard more than a few times in his youth that his father ran out when Amélie told him that he was on the way. He'd always felt bitter about it, and now that he himself was a father, he found it simply unfathomable that someone would just refuse to care for his own child. And he was the second child; why could he look after Gina, but not him, huh?!

He shook his head. Now was not the time to be resentful. He held Katrina close and cuddled her. She cooed. "Da'y."

When the cookies were ready, Amélie took them out of the oven. "Papa reçut son biscuit en premier," she said, handing one to Joe. (Dad gets his cookie first.)

"Ils sont parfaits, Maman," said Joe. (They're perfect, Mum.)

Amélie smiled. "Seulement le meilleur pour le meilleur père dans ma vie." (Only the best for the best father in my life.) She took a cookie of her own, and picked the softest one for Katrina to gnaw on.

"Attention, ma belle," said Joe, "ne s'etouffer pas." (Careful, darling, don't choke.)

Amélie, overwhelmed with emotion, hugged her son. "Merci." Joe hugged her back, with Katrina grinning in the middle of a cuddle sandwich.

Chapter Text

Part 1: Birthday Girl

Here it was; the big day. July 7th; Katrina's first birthday. Joe had made sure he was available that day, without any matches to fight or errands to run, and some of the family was coming over later. Birthdays are a big deal to kids and parents alike, so there was no way he was going to miss the first one.

Once he was fully dressed, he went to get Katrina out of her crib. Katrina was already standing up, holding herself up with the bars, waiting for him. "Bon matin, ma belle," he said as he picked her up. "Joyeux anniversaire." (Good morning, sweetie. Happy birthday.) Katrina grinned. Joe wasn't exactly sure if she actually knew what he meant, or if she was just happy to be with her daddy.

Joe got Katrina changed and into her adorable blue birthday dress, and the two of them went downstairs, where Joe presented Katrina with a simple cardboard box with a green bow on it. "Ceci c'est de moi, ma belle." (This is from me, darling.)

Katrina struggled to pull the flaps open. Joe figured he better help her. He got the first flap, and Katrina pulled back the other. Inside was an adorable, if slightly worn stuffed rabbit. It had been a relic of Joe's youth, and he felt it was time to pass it down to the next generation. Geez, thinking about that made him feel old; and he was only a few months shy of twenty-five!

Katrina, of course, loved the cuddly and picked it up out of the box the second she saw it. "Regardez ici, Katie," said Joe, getting Katrina's attention. (Look over here, Katie.) Katrina looked, and Joe took a picture; the first of many that day.

Later that afternoon, their family members, as well as Von Kaiser, had arrived, and so the party was ready to begin. Joe presented Katrina with the cake; a simple chocolate sheet cake with pink icing and rainbow sprinkles, and a candle (unlit, of course) in the middle. They all sang her the classic birthday song that, for some ungodly reason, is still often subject to copyright nonsense, and once the cake was cut, Katrina attempted to share her piece with her father, which only resulted in getting sweet mush all over his face. Von Kaiser chuckled and snapped a picture; that was adorable.

Into the evening, Joe was taking Katrina upstairs to put her down for the night. Katrina had loved the cuddly toys and dresses that her family and friends had given her.

Before he put her in her crib, he held her in his arms to talk to her. "Tu sais, Katie, quand j'ai découvert que tu étais née, j'avais vraiment peur. Je pense que j'étais trop jeune pour avoir un enfant. Mais maintenant que tu es ici, je ne changerais jamais ça. Je ne peux pas imaginer ma vie sans toi. Je t'adore." (You know, Katie, when I found out you were born, I was very scared. I thought I was too young to have a child. But now that you're here, I would never change that. I can't imagine life without you. I love you.)

He kissed her forehead, and put her in her crib. Katrina softly cooed as she fell asleep. So that was it. The first birthday was all over. Admittedly, it was nothing special. But seeing how happy little Katie was that day, he supposed it was worth it. And hey, everyone had a lot of great photos. Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, Joe turned himself in for the night.

Part 2: First Steps

It was a cloudy day. Joe was wrapping his fists in the locker room. He had already dropped Katrina off to the children's room, and he was preparing to go into his twentieth match against a new opponent; Dingo Bone, he believed they called him.

After getting his fists inspected, his gloves on, and entering the ring, he was ready for the fight. Dingo Bone hopped over the ropes into the ring, eager to get going.

"In this corner, we have our old friend, the WVBA's trooper, Joseph Beaufort!" Joe shyly raised his fists as a sign of excitement.

"And in this corner; he's rough, he's tough, he's the ripper from down under, Dingo Bone!" Dingo Bone was bouncing enthusiastically. He couldn't wait to get going.

"Fight!"

The fight began. Dingo Bone began with a trio of jabs to the face. When Joe tried to retaliate with a hook, he hopped out of the way and hit him in the side, hard enough to knock him to the mat.

"1. ...2. ...3."

Joe got back up and hooked Dingo Bone. When he went back for a second, Dingo Bone pushed him back with an uppercut.

Aie. That was gonna hurt in the morning. He was a bit disorientated, so when Dingo Bone tried to hit him again, he just jumped out of the way, and Dingo Bone crashed onto the floor.

"1. ...2. ...3. ...4."

Dingo Bone wasn't giving up just yet. "C'mere, ya big yahoo!" Just when Joe was regaining his stance, he knocked him back down with a strong gut-punch.

Joe could barely hear Pierce's count over Dingo Bone's shouting. "Yeah, you stay down! Why do they even let you compete, you're pathetic!" Nevertheless, Joe hauled himself back up.

Time was running out. Dingo Bone had just 40 seconds to knock Joe down to get a TKO. He hopped around the ring to confuse him and build up strength for his signature move; the one he'd been practicing for months. Once Joe was sufficiently dazed, Dingo Bone delivered a Bone-Dry Hook right into his jaw. Joe went flying, and landed just at the ropes on the other side of the ring. TKO.

Dingo Bone smirked. "I bet you won't be trying me again anytime soon."

Joe didn't answer. He just put his head down.

"Sie sind ein temperamentvoller, nicht wahr?" (You're a feisty one, aren't you?)

Von Kaiser was watching Katrina while waiting for Joe to come back from the locker room. Katrina was pulling herself up with a bench. She was getting more mobile every day; Joe had mentioned the other day to him that he was anxious for her to start walking. "I up," babbled Katrina, lifting one hand off the bench to show just how good she was at standing up.

Joe solemnly entered the room. Those words Dingo Bone said to him stung quite a bit. He cracked a small smile when he saw his close confidante and dear daughter. "Da'y!" Katrina squealed when she saw her father. She let go of the bench, and-was she? Yes; she was toddling towards him, all by herself!

Joe and Von Kaiser's eyes went wide as they watched her walk towards her father. Joe's face lit up and he knelt down. "Ouais! Ouais, viens à papa, ma belle!" (Yeah! Yeah, come to Daddy, sweetie!)

Katrina beamed, and once she reached her father's outstretched arms, she fell into them! Joe picked her up and cuddled her. "Bon travail!" (Good job!)

Katrina squeal-giggled as Joe kissed her forehead. "Oh, tu as juste amélioré ma mauvaise journée, Katie." (Oh, you just made my bad day better, Katie.) She made Daddy happy! This was the best day ever!

Von Kaiser chuckled and ruffled Katrina's hair. "Pass bloß auf; Kinder sind wild." (You better watch out; kids are wild.)

Joe paid no mind to this comment; he was too proud of his little girl to listen.

Part 3: Visit from Aunt Lizzie

It was the last day of July, and boy, was it a scorcher. Joe was sitting in the front yard, getting Katrina to walk longer distances, when his phone buzzed with a message. He waited until Katrina toddled into his arms to answer it.

Elizabeth sent: Hey I'm gonna be in town this weekend (11:58 am)

Elizabeth sent: Mind if I swing by? (11:58 am)

A visit? Why, of course! After all, Lizzie knew Heather much longer than he had; it was only fair that she should get to spend time with her daughter.

Joseph sent: 😃👍 (11:59 am)

Hearing a squeal, Joe looked back and found a little red ladybug crawling on Katrina’s arm. He gently picked him up,counted six spots on him, and let him fly away before picking his daughter up. “Ta tatie Lizzie viendra demain pour visiter.” (Your auntie Lizzie is coming to visit tomorrow.)

Katrina babbled to her father, seeming excited. Joe chuckled and let her crawl around on the grass some more.

The next day, the first of August, it was around lunchtime when Lizzie came a-knocking on the door, dressed in a pale blue sundress with a periwinkle ruffle. "Heya, Joey boy," she said when she was welcomed in. She took something out of her purse. "I picked up some of these for ya." She showed him; they were fruit snack pouches. "I hear these are great for babies who are getting into solids. These ones are the strawberry kind; nice and sweet, for your little sweetie."

Joe checked out the packaging. It was small, with a little mouthpiece on the top; perfectly designed for little mouths and fingers. "Penses-tu qu'elle va aimer?" (You think she'll like it?)

"Please," said Lizzie. "I'll get her to try it or my name isn't Elizabeth Powers!"

The two went into the kitchen, where Katrina was sitting impatiently in her high chair. She was hungry! Lizzie quickly showed Joe exactly how the pouch worked before she handed it to Katrina. Katrina, seemingly knowing exactly what to do, put it in her mouth and squished some of the fruity goodness onto her taste buds.

"See, she loves it," said Lizzie. Indeed she did; Katrina ate every last bit of the pouch's contents. "What a big girl," she cooed over her. Katrina grinned.

"Un second, je veux-lui encore marcher." (One second, I want her to walk again.) Joe went to the end of the hallway, while Lizzie got Katrina out of the high chair. Lizzie put her on the ground, and Katrina didn't just walk to her father; she ran! Joe picked her up, and she squealed and giggled. "Bon travail, Katie." (Good job, Katie.)

"She has her mother's spunk," said Lizzie, ruffling Katrina's hair.

Part 4: Swimming Lessons

It was a rainy Tuesday morning. Joe was on the computer, writing an email to a swim instructor at the pool. He was interested in signing Katrina up for swimming lessons, and wanted to get all of the details beforehand.

From: Joseph Beaufort, 3MIC

To: Stephanie J. Harris

Subject: Les leçons de nager

Bonjour Stephanie,

J'ai des questions à propos de tes leçons de natation. (I have questions about your swimming lessons.)

Premièrement, est-ce que le nom "Mommy and Me" se dit que seulement les mères peuvent joindre, ou est-ce que c'est ouvert aux pères aussi? Je demande parce que je suis un père seul. (First, does the name "Mommy and Me" mean that only mothers can join, or is it open to fathers too? I ask because I am a single father.)

En plus, qu'est-ce qui se passe s'il y a le mauvais temps? (Furthermore, what happens if there is bad weather?)

Merci,

Joseph

Sent at 10:04 am, August 4th, 2009

. . .

From: Stephanie J. Harris

To: Joseph Beaufort, 3MIC

Subject: Re: Les leçons de nager

Hi Joseph,

Our Mommy and Me swim classes are available to parents and children under four years of age, of all genders. In fact, we've been talking about changing the name to Baby and Me.

If the weather turns sour, we move our lessons to the indoor pool.

We're happy to have you and your child join us.

Thanks,

Stephanie

Sent at 10:30 am, August 4th, 2009

Alright. Everything was settled. Joe made sure everything in the registry was clear, then put the computer down. He picked up Katrina, who had been sitting on the floor playing with a pair of socks she had taken from the laundry basket. "Tu vas apprendre a comment nagé le mercredi prochain, ma belle." (You're going to learn how to swim next Wednesday, darling.)

Katrina looked at him. "Ya," she said.

The next week, on Wednesday at eleven o'clock, Joe and Katrina arrived at the pool for the first lesson. Joe has signed up for a six-class course, with one class every two weeks.

"Good morning everyone," said Stephanie, a fresh-faced eighteen-year-old girl with a long blonde ponytail, bright green eyes, and a small black heart tattooed on her wrist. "Welcome to the Baby and Me swim class. We're gonna start with getting your baby used to the water."

Stephanie and the four parents all entered the water. The four babies all loved the water; one in particular instantly reached out to splash his hands in it.

"Alright," said Stephanie once all the babies were used to the water, "now lie your baby on their back and walk around with them."

Katrina grinned at Joe as he walked her around. He could tell she was loving swimming lessons already.

"Are you a first timer?"

Joe turned. Another mom was approached with her own daughter.

"Oui," said Joe. "Je veux enseigner à ma fille de nager tôt dans sa vie." (Yes. I want to teach my daughter to swim early in her life.)

"That's what we're doing for our girls," said the mom. "I do the baby class with Janet, and then afterwards, my husband takes our older daughter to the toddler class."

Baby Janet reached a hand out to Katrina. They grinned at each other. The mom, unable to shake hands, instead offered a kind nod. "Valeria Bernard."

"Joseph Beaufort," said Joe.

Once they were done, they sat the babies on the ledge of the pool for the grownups to show them to dip underwater. "This is something that always freaked me out," said Stephanie, while often peeking over her shoulder to make sure the babies wouldn't try to get back into the water or wander off. "I was always scared that I would drown the second my head went under. Then one day, my mom brought me to the pool and told me 'Stephanie Jade Harris, your body is a powerful machine and you can swim underwater'. She brought me in, and you know what? I did it! And now I teach kids to do it."

Each parent was instructed to take a stride underwater to show their children. Joe took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut before going under. Then, each picked up their baby to have them do it.

"One, two, three." Each parent counted before they took another stride with their baby. Katrina copied her daddy by taking a breath and squeezing her eyes shut, and came back up squeal-giggling. She thought it was funny.

Once every parent and baby completed their strides, Stephanie corralled them all together. "Alright, great progress today. I'll see you all again in two weeks!" She hopped out of the water to resume lifeguard duty as the pool opened up for family swim. Joe decided to stick around and play with Katrina in the water until it was time to go home for lunch.

Chapter Text

September was in full swing. Leaves were starting to fall, winds were kicking up, and the nights were getting chillier. The boxers were all hanging out in the lounge with coffee, killing time until the next match. "Kabby," said Katrina, pointing at Joe's coffee cup.

"Oui, c'est le café," said Joe with a chuckle. (Yes, this is coffee.)

"Bringen wir ihr mehr Worte bei." (Let's teach her more words.) Von Kaiser showed her his boot. "Dies ist ein Stiefel." (This is a boot.)

"Boot!" Katrina squealed.

Joe still wasn't sure how Katrina was learning to talk in English when he spoke French, but he chalked it up to her picking it up from her mother. He pointed upwards at the ceiling. "Ca, c'est une lumière." (That's a light.)

"Wight," said Katrina. She loved the attention the grown-ups were giving her.

"Say 'arena'," said Pierce.

"Awena," said Katrina.

"Say 'boxing'," said Masked Muscle.

"Boxy," said Katrina.

"Say 'my dad's a skinny git'," said Dingo Bone.

"No!" All of the adults yelled at him at once. Katrina giggled. She thought all the grown-ups were acting silly.

"Ralentir, on va prendre ceci une patte parfois." (Slow down, we'll take it one step at a time.) Joe sat up straighter. "Qui suis-je?" (Who am I?)

"Daddy!" Katrina was bouncing with excitement at this point. She liked this game.

"Wer bin ich?" Von Kaiser asked next. (Who am I?)

"Vikky!" Catching on to what the grown-ups were doing, she looked around at everyone in the room. "Pier," she said as she pointed at Pierce, "an' Mass." She turned to Masked Muscle.

"Wha' about me?" Dingo Bone asked.

"Dingus!" Katrina said with a big grin. Everyone in the room burst out laughing. Dingo Bone simply scowled.

Later in the afternoon, after the matches had ended, Joe took Katrina to go home. "Car!" She yelled when they got to the car.

"Correct, ma belle." (That's right, darling.) Joe buckled her into her car seat so they could go.

When they got home, Joe put Katrina down on the floor to play. She ran over to the couch. "Cow!"

"Proche, Katie," said Joe, going over to her. (Close, Katie.)

Katrina looked up at her father. "Cow…ch."

"Bon travail." (Good work.) Joe picked her up. "Tu es tellement intelligent." (You're so smart.) Katrina giggled as her father hugged her.

Chapter Text

It was a crisp September 16th. Joe was heading into the indoor pool with Katrina. A lot was on his mind; swimming lessons, what they were going to have for dinner that night, his twenty-fifth birthday was just two days away…

He snapped into focus when he got into the pool area. "Hi, everyone," said Stephanie, "welcome back to Baby and Me. We're gonna start with getting used to the water like normal."

The parents all got into the water. Joe found that the indoor pool water was much warmer than the outdoor pool water. Of course, he thought, they probably have some sort of temperature control in here that can't be installed outside. Katrina grinned when they got into the water.

"Now," said Stephanie, "today we're gonna do some independent baby swimming. Lie your baby on their back in the water, and then let go."

Lâcher?! (Let go?!) Joe was appalled. Why, she could drown!

"It's okay," said Stephanie, snapping Joe back into reality. "Babies float way better than you think they do."

Okay. Joe steadied himself, then let go of Katrina. True to Stephanie's word, Katrina floated on her back with her head above the water. She looked around, surprised to be floating by herself. Still, she grinned and giggled. "Da'y, I fwo!"

"See," said Stephanie, "you just gotta have confidence that your kids know what to do." She glanced over Joe's shoulder. "Just make sure you keep an eye on your little escape artist."

Joe turned around and saw that Katrina was waving her arms around and swimming away! "Whoa!" He waded over and turned her around so she would swim back towards the class.

"Good job," said Stephanie once Joe got Katrina back to the class, "you're such a good swimmer!" Katrina grinned.

Once the meeting was over, Joe was coming out of the family locker room with Katrina in his arms, when he had a thought. Now that Katrina could walk and swim, it seemed only natural that she would want more freedom. He put her down on the floor. "Va a la porte, ma belle." (Go to the door, sweetie.)

Katrina toddled down the hallway, but was distracted when she looked at the cubby on the wall and found her shoes. She picked them up.

"Oui, retrouver tes chaussures. J'ai probablement besoin de te le dire en premierement." (Yes, get your shoes. I probably should have said that first.) He took his own shoes from the cubby. After getting their shoes back on, Katrina toddled to the door. "Bon travail, ma fille." (Good work, my girl.)

"I goo' walker," babbled Katrina.

When Joe and Katrina got home, they went into the kitchen to make lunch. Joe thought that maybe he should let Katrina feel included in lunch, too. He opened the produce bin in the fridge. "Choisir la tomate, Katie." (Get the tomato, Katie.)

Katrina looked in the bin, and reached towards the cucumber. "Ce c'est un concombre," said Joe. (It's a cucumber.) Katrina paused for a moment, then reached towards the tomato. "Correct," said Joe. "Maintenant choisir le concombre." (Right. Now get the cucumber.)

Recognizing the word, Katrina picked up the cucumber. "Fille intelligente," said Joe, picking up the lunch turkey. (Smart girl.)

"Goo cumber," said Katrina, with a grin.

Joe took the ingredients and put them on the counter, put Katrina in her high chair, and prepared two plates of cold cuts. Putting the plates on the table, he ruffled Katrina's hair, which was starting to grow thicker.

"I big girl," said Katrina, grinning.

"Ouais," said Joe, chuckling.

Chapter Text

It was Halloween day; the first Halloween Joe was celebrating with Katrina. The two were getting ready for Costumed Fight Night at the arena. Joe clicked his pilot goggles over his eyes and wrapped a yellow scarf around his little princess. They were ready to go.

When they arrived, all of the other boxers were already there, in various costumes. "You were waiting all year to do this one, weren'tcha?" Masked Muscle, dressed in a chicken suit, chuckled at the Beaufort duo.

"Mais oui," said Joe, "c'était trop mignon d'ignorer." (Of course, it was too cute not to do.) Katrina grinned and played with her scarf.

"Alright, listen up, you clowns," said Pierce, getting their attention.

"None of us are dressed as clowns, dumbass," said Dingo Bone, adjusting his Bat-Mask.

"It's an expression," said Pierce, "and watch your mouth, there are kids here." He looked at his clipboard. "Okay, so tonight, we've got Joe against Masked Muscle, Von Kaiser against the new guy, and Dingo Bone against Doc Louis."

Joe handed Katrina and his goggles off to Von Kaiser for safekeeping while he had his match. Von Kaiser took Katrina, as well as Dingo Bone, to the lounge to hang out.

"Hey;, that yutz said we were gettin' a new guy, right?" Dingo Bone asked. "Where is he?"

As soon as he asked, the door swung open, and there stood a surprisingly-tall early-twenty something with a deep spray tan, sunglasses, and the most obnoxiously-bright swim trunks any of them had ever seen. "Did someone order the Super Macho Special?"

They looked at him in disbelief. "Nein," mumbled Von Kaiser.

"Are you the new guy?" Dingo Bone asked.

"You bet, my dude," said the beach bum. "They call me Super Macho Man."

Du nennst dich eher Super Macho Man, thought Von Kaiser. (More like you call yourself Super Macho Man.)

Super Macho Man looked down at Katrina sitting in Von Kaiser's lap. "Cute baby. She yours?"

"Nein," said Von Kaiser, "sie ist das baby von meiner freundin." (No, she is my friend's baby.)

Not long after, Masked Muscle came back with Joe over his shoulder. "I got him good," said Masked Muscle, sitting Joe on the couch. Joe was dizzy, as if he was seeing stars. Von Kaiser awkwardly put Katrina in his lap, which snapped him back into reality.

"Hey, munchkin!" Masked Muscle got Katrina's attention and did a chicken dance, which made her squeal with laughter.

While the other fights were going on, the remaining boxers watched some Halloween cartoons. Katrina grinned at the funny songs and bright colours. "You think you're gonna take her trick-or-treating next year?" Masked Muscle asked.

"Probablement," said Joe. "Elle va être capable de marcher et parler sans aide." (Probably. She'll be able to walk and talk by herself.)

After every match was finished and the league had shared sweets together, Joe picked up Katrina to go home. As he was getting off the bus, there was a jump and a BOO! Joe shrieked and stumbled. The jumper chuckled. "Did I getcha?" Katrina giggled when she realized the jumper was just a neighbour. Joe put a hand over his heart and awkwardly chuckled.

When they got inside, Katrina was falling asleep on Joe's shoulder. He cuddled her, brought her upstairs, got her out of her costume, and laid her in her crib for the night. "Joyeux Halloween, ma belle." (Happy Halloween, darling.)

Chapter Text

Part 1: Escape

Little Katrina Beaufort did not like waiting. She had been cooped up in the children's room for way too long. Where's Daddy?

She scooted off the couch while the bouncer wasn't looking, leaving a Rebecca Rubin American Girl doll in her place, and opened the door to leave. Now that she was out of the children's room, she had to find her father.

First stop; the door next to the children's room door. She opened it into a white tiled room with blue - no, grey - bley? Whatever, lockers along the walls, and two benches in the middle of the room. In the back, she could see pockets in the walls with showers on the left and curtains on the right.

"Whoa there, tiny," said Masked Muscle when he looked up and saw her, "where's your papa?"

"I don' nyow," mumbled Katrina.

"Joseph ist gerade mitten in einem Streichholz," said Von Kaiser, coming from behind the curtain. "Sie muss ihn vermissen." (Joseph is in the middle of a match right now. She must miss him.)

"Well, knowing him, it won't be long until he's back," said Masked Muscle, looking over at him.. But when they both turned back around, Katrina had disappeared.

Katrina wandered around the back area, looking in any place she even remotely thought Daddy could be. Under the water fountain, up at the ceiling, between the cracks in the walls, anywhere.

"Whoa, end of the line, Scoots," said Super Macho Man, scooping her up. "You're supposed to be in the kids' room."

Katrina grinned. Super Macho Man caught Pierce out of the corner of his eye. "Hey," he beckoned to him, "you should totally get a picture of this." He handed him his phone, and got a rad picture of him flexing with the baby sitting on his bicep.

Just then, there was a door clicking, and Joe emerged from the locker room. "Brad, pourquoi as-tu ma fille?" (Brad, why do you have my daughter?)

"Daddy!" Katrina reached for her father.

"She escaped from baby jail," said Super Macho Man, handing her off to Joe.

"Ah, alors elle peut ouvrir les portes maintenant," said Joe. "Ça va être…intéressant." (Oh, so she can open doors now. That's gonna be…interesting.) He gave a cautious grin to his little escape artist, who just laughed.

Part 2: Big Girl Bed

Now that Katrina was walking, talking, and abandoning the baby stage altogether, Joe figured it was time to move her out of her crib and into a proper bed. “Bon matin, ma fille,” he said as he woke her up in the morning. “Aujourd'hui, nous conduirons au magasin de meubles.” (Good morning, kiddo. Today, we’re driving to the furniture store.)

“Huh?” Katrina didn’t quite understand what was going on.

“Tu as besoin d'un lit. Tu es trop grande pour ton berceau.” (You need a bed. You’re too big for your crib. ) Joe picked out some clothes for Katrina to wear. “On y va.” ( Let’s go.)

At the furniture store, a fresh-faced high school-aged employee with a name tag reading “Madoka” directed the Beaufort family to the toddler section. “So, we have this little height chart to measure what size bed your little one needs.” She directed Katrina to stand with her back against the chart. “Right. She’ll need a medium toddler bed.”

The three of them went over to look at some medium-sized beds. “Now, these are mostly the same size and build, just with different colours and themes.” Madoka knelt down to Katrina’s level. “See, we have a Dora bed, a My Little Pony bed, a princess bed…”

Katrina wandered in between the different beds, and pushed herself upwards onto a pink bed with a glittery paint finish and a Barbie theming. Then hopped back down. Then got back up. Then down again. Joe chuckled. “Je pense qu’elle aime ce lit.” (I think she likes this bed.)

“So, little girl,” said Madoka, “are you sure it’s this one you want? We have a lot of others just like it, but with different styles.” She showed Katrina a series of other adorable bed themes. 

Katrina took a look at each bed in the show room, then went right back to the Barbie bed. “This one!”

Madoka laughed. “Toddlers. They’re always the most stubborn, aren’t they?” She turned to Joe. “We have a sale going on for toddler furniture. You can get this frame, plus a mattress bundled together for only 175$.”

“Ooh.” Joe nodded along. “Quelle affaire.” (What a deal.)

At home, after getting everything they needed to redo Katrina’s room, Joe took apart Katrina’s old crib and stored the pieces in the basement, then brought in the new bedframe. “Peux-tu m’aider, ma belle?” (Can you help me, sweetie?)

Katrina held onto one side of the cotton candy pink sheets as Joe pulled it over the new mattress. Then she toddled over to the pile of blankets and pillows and climbed up onto the bed with her two pillows. She giggled as she rolled over on the mattress. Joe laughed as well. “Quelle grande fille.” (What a big girl.)

That night, when Katrina had been put to bed, she watched the ceiling before going to sleep. She found that she felt much freer and less cramped now that she didn’t have the bars of a crib surrounding her at night. She could easily get out of bed if she needed to use the bathroom or go and find Daddy if she had a nightmare. She gripped onto her stuffed bunny and slowly but surely, fell asleep in her big girl bed for the first time.

Joe watched over his daughter from the doorway in the middle of the night. She looked so happy to be in her new Barbie bed, sleeping peacefully. She was getting to be such a big girl now…soon, she would be ready for an adult-sized bed to sleep in. Ready to have a proper desk instead of a Fisher-Price table. 

But not quite yet. For now, she was just going to be his little toddler girl. Still, Joe couldn’t help but imagine the day that he would wake up and that tiny child would be an adult, who would wrap her arms around him and thank him for the life he’d given her.

Part 3: Field Trip

It was a chilly September day at the arena. The boxers were gathered, chatting about their day. "I keep tellin' you," said Dingo Bone, "I can never find those damn keys when I need them!"

"Hey," said Pierce, coming over, "I need you to keep your mouths clean today."

"Why?" Super Macho Man asked.

"We got some kids coming in for a tour," said Pierce. "They're from Sutton Park School."

As he said that, the door opened, and the teacher he'd spoken to over the phone, Mrs. Mills, entered. "Is this the place?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Pierce, going over to shake her hand. "Pierce Adamson."

Mrs. Mills herded about fifteen eleven-year-olds into the arena. They all looked around in different directions; they were excited to be there. Once they were all in order, the tour began.

Eventually, the tour took them to the children's room, where Katrina, dressed in a blue cotton dress, white socks, and black Mary Jane shoes, was waiting for her father. "Here, we can keep an eye on any kids the boxers bring in."

Katrina was fixated on the crowd. She showed them the five-pound barbell she'd been insisting on dragging around, which was likely a third of her own weight. "Dis is my bobble."

"That's Katrina," said Pierce. "She's Joseph Beaufort's kid; just turned two a few months ago. He always brings her with him when he comes in."

As if he'd spoken a summoning spell, Joe entered the room and picked up Katrina. "Si tu peux m'excuser, nous allons pour chercher le dîner." (If you'll excuse me, we're going to go get lunch.) The two Beauforts exited.

After everyone had some lunch, they settled in for that day's match; Von Kaiser vs. Dingo Bone. The Sutton Park kids were bouncing in their seats.

"Fight!"

Von Kaiser and Dingo Bone approached each other. Both threw an uppercut, but both missed. Dingo Bone used his Bone-Dry Hook, which made Von Kaiser stumble.

In the crowd, one student, a thin redheaded boy, watched the match in awe. Gears were turning in his head; he had just found a golden opportunity fighting right in front of him.

As the fight continued, Dingo Bone became more and more frustrated. Von Kaiser was much more of a challenge than Joe had been. He drew back, and once Von Kaiser's guard was down, gave him an extra-hard Star Punch. Von Kaiser yelled, and went down like a malfunctioning robot. KO.

The kids all whooped and cheered. It was the coolest thing they'd ever seen.

"Mister?"

The kids were getting ready to leave, and the redheaded boy had approached Pierce. Pierce knelt down. "What's up, son?"

"I think I want to be a boxer when I grow up," said the boy.

"That's awesome," said Pierce. "What's your name?"

"Uh…" He shied away for a moment, then looked back up at him. "Dragon."

"Dragon?" Pierce was a bit amused. "That's a cool name. Well, to be a boxer, you gotta train really hard, stay fit, and learn all the rules. You think you can do all that?"

"Yeah!" Dragon had a confident gleam in his eyes. "I'm gonna read every single rule there is!" He turned to follow his class when he heard Mrs. Mills calling his name.

Pierce smiled. He was sure that one day, he was going to be seeing that boy in the ring, fighting with all his heart.

Part 4: Cousins

It was a snowy December evening. Riding in a little car was Marie Stevenson. Well, she supposed she was Marie Beaufort-Stevenson now. She was on her way to her first visit with her new stepfamily. Dad had married Gina (well, Stepmum now) last August, and now they were all going to spend Christmas weekend together.

They arrived and went inside. Step-Granny was very pleased to see Stepmum and Dad. "Salut, Gina, et Blaine. Et ceci c'est Marie, oui?" (Hi, Gina, and Blaine. And this is Marie, yes?)

"Yes it is. Lovely to see you again, Amélie," said Dad, shaking her head.

Marie looked at everyone in the room. She was still a little shy being around her stepfamily. They were still all so new to her.

"C'est correct, cherie," said Stepmum. (It's okay, darling.) She encouraged her to talk to her stepfamily members. Marie decided to approach the redhead in a cozy sweater, with the toddler in a blue pawprint dress in his lap.

"Salut," he said. "Je suis ton oncle Joseph." He gestured to the tiny girl. "Et ceci est Katrina. Katrina, ceci c'est ta cousine Marie." (Hi. I'm your uncle Joseph. And this is Katrina. Katrina, this is your cousin Marie.)

"Hi," said Katrina in a small voice. Marie didn't feel quite so self-conscious knowing that she and Dad weren't the only family members who spoke English.

"Ramasser les enfants sur le sofa," said Step-Granny. "On va prendre une photo." (Gather the kids on the couch. We'll take a picture.)

Marie and Katrina were organized on the sofa in a "best cousins forever" sort of way, along with a tall teenager, who Marie guessed was also her cousin. Stepmum set up the camera and snapped a few pictures.

"Tu es du Royaume-Uni, correct?" (You're from the UK, right?) The teenager asked Marie, once the adults had gone downstairs for coffee and "grown-up talk".

"Yes," said Marie. "I was born in Manchester."

"Je suis allée une fois quand j'avais dix ans," she continued. "Oh, aussi, je suis Chloé." (I went there once when I was ten. Oh, by the way, I'm Chloé.)

"Are you my cousin too?" Marie asked.

"Techniquement, je suis ta deuxième cousine. Je suis la cousine de Joseph," said Chloé. "Sa mère et mon père sont frère et soeur." (Technically, I'm your second cousin. I'm Joseph's cousin. His mum and my dad are brother and sister.)

Since she could tell that the little kids were bored, Chloé decided to show them her favourite dancing program. She picked a simple routine to accommodate for her five and two year old cousins. Soon enough, the three were dancing and having fun. Wasn't Step-Granny ever pleased to come upstairs and see the three of them getting along!

"Oh, je sais que vous alliez être les meilleures amies!" Step-Granny cooed. (Oh, I knew that you were going to be best friends!)

Marie grinned and ran to Step-Granny to hug her. She knew that she was going to love Stepmum's family.

Chapter Text

It was a brisk January morning. Joe entered the arena with Katrina toddling along by his side, dressed in her purple dress with white lace on the collar. He was grateful that she was now tall enough to reach his hand so she could walk, though he did still like carrying her.

Since he didn't have any matches that day, he decided to spend some time in the hall of fame. "Ceci c'est Sheriff Firebird," he said to Katrina, showing her the various portraits on the wall. "Il fonde cette organisation en l'année 1979." (This is Sheriff Firebird. He founded this organization in 1979.)

Katrina looked at the picture. "Funny hat," she giggled, seeing Sheriff Firebird's comically tall cowboy hat.

Joe nodded along, and continued down the line. "Et ceci c'est le premier champion mondial, Hoy Quarlow. Il avait une forme de boxe très peu orthodoxe, mais il était tellement fort." (And this is the first World Champion, Hoy Quarlow. He had a very unorthodox method of boxing, but he was incredibly strong.)

He stopped at one portrait in particular. "Et ceci…c'est Doc Louis, notre champion mondial du présent. J'ai toujours regardé ses bagarres quand j'étais un p'tit gars. Je ne pense jamais pouvoir grandir pour être un boxeur comme lui, mais ici nous sommes." (And him…that's Doc Louis, our current World Champion. I always watched his matches when I was a little boy. I never thought I could grow up to be a boxer like him, but here we are.)

"He daddy's hewo?" Katrina cocked her head.

"Je suppose que oui," said Joe, looking back up at the portrait before him. (I suppose so.)

That afternoon, Joe had the opportunity to show Katrina Doc Louis in action as they sat down to watch his latest match against Masked Muscle.

"Fight!"

The fight began. Masked Muscle, being the sneak he was, tried his dokugiri trick, but Doc Louis was too fast for him. He drove his fist right into Masked Muscle's jaw; star #1.

Masked Muscle hopped back and forth to try and confuse Doc Louis. He went in for an uppercut, which Doc Louis countered with three strong hooks; star #2.

Masked Muscle was getting frustrated. He attempted to throw a headbutt, but Doc Louis stepped away and then hit back with a flurry of jabs; star #3. Once Masked Muscle was sufficiently dazed, Doc Louis pulled back and threw him right down with a powerful Star Punch. Knockout.

A bit later, Joe, with Katrina on his hip, shyly approached Doc Louis in the lounge. "Tu étais fantastique aujourd'hui." (You were fantastic today.)

Doc Louis chuckled. "Feels good to be on top of the world." He looked at Katrina. "Yeah, that's what your daddy does for a living too."

"I gonna watch Daddy next time," said Katrina. Which was true; Joe had a match within the next few days.

Doc Louis gave Joe a pat on the shoulder. "Make her proud."

Joe watched as he left. That was extremely validating coming from him. He held Katrina close and beamed; he could hear the cheers and hollers of the crowd already.

Chapter Text

It was very early in the morning when Joe woke up to harsh, phlegmy coughing from the other room. Concerned, he pulled himself out of bed and went to Katrina's room.

When Katrina saw her father, she reached up to him. "Daddy, I don' feel good."

Joe picked his daughter up, and realized that she felt warm to the touch. His heart was starting to pound. He went to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet, but they were out of children's cold pills. He felt cold as Katrina leaned on his shoulder.

Alright, so he was going to have to go out and get some medicine. At two o'clock in the morning. In the cold March rains. He thanked his lucky stars that the pharmacy was open 24 hours. He pulled his coat on, bundled Katrina into hers, and set off.

You can see some weird things working the night shift. So weird, in fact, that a rando coming in soaking wet carrying a toddler is extremely normal by comparison.

The cashier looked up. "Can I help you?"

"Oui," mumbled Joe, still trembling from the cold rain. "J'ai besoin d'une médecine pour ma fille. Elle est malade." (Yes. I need medicine for my daughter. She's sick.)

The cashier looked a little suspicious. Joe suspected that this pharmacy must get a lot of drug seekers in the middle of the night. "What are your daughter's symptoms?" He asked.

"Elle a un fievre," said Joe, straightening his back, "et un tousse." (She has a fever and a cough.)

The cashier's expression softened. He must have been realizing that Joe really was looking for medicine for his daughter, not for himself to abuse. "Along that wall. Soti-Kids is probably your best bet."

Joe looked for the name, and picked up two packets. He paid his dues, sincerely thanked the cashier, and went on his way. By the time he got home, he was so exhausted that he laid down on the couch with Katrina laying on his chest and fell asleep almost instantly.

The next morning, Joe woke up feeling cold and groggy. He must have caught a chill from going out last night.

He patted Katrina's back to wake her. "Tu as besoin de ta médecine." (You need your medicine.) Katrina rubbed her eyes and sat up, and Joe gave her two pills with some water, as directed on the back of the packet.

Katrina heard her father sniffle, and looked up. "Daddy, you need medicines too?"

"Oui," mumbled Joe. "Papa ne se sent pas bien non plus. Je vais prendre mon medicine aussi." (Daddy doesn't feel good either. I'm gonna take my medicine too.) He started up the stairs.

"Daddy, medicine's right here." Katrina held up the packet.

"Oui, mais ca c'est ton medicine," said Joe, a bit hoarse. "J'ai besoin le medicine des adultes, et ca c'est en haute." (Yes, but that's your medicine. I need adult medicine, and that's upstairs.)

After taking his medicine, Joe picked up the blanket off his bed and went back downstairs. Katrina had put the TV on and was watching a cartoon. Joe picked her up and bundled the both of them into the blanket. Katrina nuzzled up to her father and laid her head down, where she could hear the gentle beating of his heart.

Chapter Text

It was a cool July evening with a light breeze. Joe was wandering around a small shopping centre, browsing through the various items on the shelves, when he came across a display of discount DVDs. One caught his eye; a princess movie on sale for only three dollars. He thought Katrina might like it, and hey, he had been struggling to find her a gift for her fourth birthday, which he still couldn't believe was tomorrow. He grinned; she would love this! So he picked it up and brought it to the counter.

"You got young kids, eh?" The man at the register said when he saw the DVD cover.

"Oui," said Joe with a slight shrug. "Demain c'est le quatrième anniversaire de ma fille, et ceci c'est un cadeau pour elle." (Tomorrow is my daughter's fourth birthday, and this is a present for her.)

"Yeah, we've had this one for, what, six years now? It's kinda old, but it still works in mint condition." The man rang him up and sent him on his way. "Enjoy your flick."

The next evening, after the family had been over for cake and some games, Joe sat Katrina down on the couch with a bowl of popcorn to watch the movie. "Ceci c'est mon cadeau," he said to her. (This is my present.) He got the DVD set up and pressed the play button.

Joe could tell Katrina was loving the princesses and their dance, but he was surprised to find himself getting invested in the story as well. He truly felt sorry for the princesses when they were suppressed from dancing.

"Daddy, it's magic!" Katrina cooed. She was loving this movie!

About halfway through the movie, things started to get rather sad. The princesses' father had become ill, and the new kingdom rules forbade them from singing his favourite song for him. The idea of it sent chills down Joe's spine; he never wanted to be in a position where Katrina couldn't share such a tender moment with him in his darkest hours. He absentmindedly held Katrina a little closer.

"Daddy, are they gonna make it?" Katrina looked up at her father when the princesses went off to find the cure for their father.

"Oui," he said, watching intensely, "elles besoin de." (Yes, they have to.)

He felt his heart surge when they finally got the cure to their father, and soon, the tension melted away when it worked just as planned. He cuddled Katrina on his lap as the final scene ended and the credits began to roll, a hot, gentle tear rolling down his cheek. "Aimes-tu le film, ma belle?" (Did you like the movie, darling?)

"Uh huh," said Katrina sleepily. "Why are you crying?"

Joe caught himself, and wiped his eyes. "J'ai vraiment aimé le film." (I really liked the movie.) Noticing how late it was getting, he brought his daughter upstairs for bedtime. He tucked her in and kissed her goodnight. "Bonne nuit, ma belle."

"I'll be my best person," said Katrina as she nodded off, mimicking the movie, which Joe found simply adorable.

Chapter Text

It was a cool Friday night in August. Joe had to be away on Saturday, so he had brought Katrina to spend the weekend at his mother's. "Merci d'avoir pris Katrina. J'espère qu'elle va s'amuser." (Thank you for taking Katrina. I hope she has fun.)

"Oh, elle va," said Amélie. "Elle adore jouer avec la vieille balançoire de pneu." (Oh, she will. She loves playing with the old tire swing.) Katrina slept in her arms; Joe had waited until her bedtime to bring her over, since it was easier to leave the night before than the morning of.

The two brought Katrina inside to the guest room, and tucked her in for the night. Joe kissed his daughter goodnight, bid his mother farewell, and set off for the weekend.

The next morning, Katrina woke up, a bit confused as to why she was in a bed at Grandma's until she remembered that she was supposed to stay here while Daddy was away.

She crawled out of bed and toddled downstairs to the dining room, where Grandma was drinking her coffee and doing the crossword puzzles in her newspapers.

"Bon matin, Katrina," said Grandma when she heard her come in. "Veux-tu m'aider à cuire le petit déjeuner?" (Good morning, Katrina. Do you want to help me make breakfast?)

Katrina nodded, and followed Grandma to the kitchen. Grandma helped her reach the counter and let her put the bread in the toaster by herself. Katrina watched the toaster while Grandma cut up some honeycrisp apples.

When they were finished, they each had a plate of toast and apple slices, with a glass of milk. Katrina didn't quite understand why Grandma liked to roll her apple slices in salt instead of sugar. She guessed it was one of those things grown-ups do that don't make any sense.

That afternoon, Gina and Marie came over, and Marie helped Katrina onto the tire swing to play with it. She sat her on the top of the tire, and spun the rope around. Katrina squealed as the tire swirled around rapidly.

Gina and Amélie sat on the porch with ice-cold apple juice and chatted while watching the kids. "Alors, ou a Joseph s'aller cette fin de semaine que Katrina ne peux pas joindre?" (So, where did Joseph go this weekend that Katrina couldn't come?)

"Il était invité à la LCVB," said Amélie, "et ça c'est sur l'autre côté de la ville." (He was invited to the LCVB, and that's on the other side of town.)

"LCVB," said Gina. "Ca c'est probablement une autre association de boxe." (LCVB. That's probably another boxing association.)

Amélie nodded. "Il s'appelle la Ligue des Boxeurs Video Champions." (They're called the League of Champion Video Boxers.)

That evening after dinner, Amélie picked up a box full of old Polaroid pictures and showed them to Katrina. "Ceci c'est ton père quand il a commencé l'école." (This is your father when he started school.) In it, Daddy was small, and wearing a sensible brown shirt and black slacks. Katrina thought he looked plain.

"Et ceci c'était nous sur le 14 juillet," continued Amélie, showing Katrina a picture of herself, a small Tatie Gina, and a smaller Daddy with blue, white, and red stripes painted on their faces. (And this is us on the 14th of July.)

Katrina picked up a picture of a baby, with the numbers "9 18 84" written on the bottom. "Who's this?"

"Ca?" Amélie looked at it. "Oh, ça c'était la première photo de ton père que je n'ai jamais prise." (That? Oh, that was the first photo of your father I ever took.)

Katrina looked at it. "He was a cute baby."

Amélie sighed. "Oui," she said softly. "Il était tellement tranquille et relaxe." (Yes. He was very calm and relaxed.) She looked a little sad. "Je souhaite que son père soit là. Mais il a disparu avant qu'il ne soit né." (I wish his father could have been there. But he disappeared before he was born.)

Katrina cocked her head. She didn't quite understand that, but she was just happy that her father didn't disappear before she was born.

The next morning, Amélie brought Katrina outside to mess about in the front lawn. Katrina tried to do a handstand, while Amélie kneeled next to her to keep her from falling and hurting herself.

Katrina decided to show her grandmother her amazing somersault, when she heard a car door shut. "Katrina!"

She looked up, and saw Joe calling to her from the driveway. "Daddy!" She ran to him and jumped into his open arms.

"Je te manque, ma belle," said Joe, hugging his daughter. (I missed you, sweetie.) He yelped a bit when she put a hand on his shoulder. "Attention, mon épaule me fait mal." (Careful, my shoulder is sore.) He turned to Amélie, who also approached. "Merci de prendre soin de Katrina." (Thank you for taking care of Katrina.)

"De rien, mon gars, j'adore être avec mes petits-enfants." (You're welcome, honey, I love being with my grandchildren.)

"Viens, Katrina, on a besoin de retourner chez nous." (Come on, Katrina, we need to go home.) Joe put Katrina down, and she went inside and got her bag.

"As-tu toutes tes affaires?" (Do you have all your things?) Amélie asked Katrina when she came back outside.

"Yes," said Katrina. "I even got my toothbrush back from the bathroom."

"Bon," said Amélie. "Au revoir, cherie." (Good. Goodbye, sweetie.) She hugged Katrina goodbye, and Katrina trailed behind her father back to the car.

Chapter Text

Part 1: Coming Out

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon. Katrina was upstairs playing in her room, while Joe was sitting on the couch, deep in thought. He was pondering himself, and his relationship with Von Kaiser.

Von Kaiser had been his closest, most trusted friend ever since he joined the WVBA. He had shown him how to fight, how to navigate the arena...everything. And he was extremely grateful for it.

...Except, he didn't feel right just calling him a friend. Not even a best friend. No, no, things were much deeper than that.

Is this what crushing felt like?

He had never been into the crushing and dating scene in his youth. He'd never even thought about labels before. But now, they wouldn't leave his head.

And Von Kaiser? Why, at that point, Joe felt he couldn't call him anything but a lover.

"Daddy?"

Joe jumped a bit when Katrina's voice broke his train of thought. "Oui, ma belle?"

"I found the match to my yellow sock," said Katrina, showing him the pair. "I forgot that I put it on my bear."

"Oh," mumbled Joe. He shook his head a bit to put himself back in the right headspace. "Katie, j'ai pensé à beaucoup de choses. Viens, assis." (Katie, I've been thinking about a lot of things. Come, sit down.) Katrina sat down next to him, and he felt ready to explain. "Katrina, entends-tu le mot 'gai' au passe." (Katrina, have you heard the word 'gay' before?.)

"What's that?" Katrina asked.

"Tu sais La Belle et La Bête, oui? C'est comme si la bête se transformait entre une princesse au lieu d'un prince." (You know Beauty and the Beast, right? It's like if the beast transformed into a princess instead of a prince.)

"Does that mean I can marry a princess when I grow up?" Katrina's eyes sparkled at the idea.

Joe chuckled. "Je suppose que oui." (I suppose so.)

"Okay then," said Katrina. She put her hands on her hips with a confident look on her face. "Daddy, when I grow up, I am going to marry a princess."

Joe ruffled Katrina's hair. "Bon chance." (Good luck.) He realized he was getting off track, and continued the conversation. "D'être gai, c'est quand deux gars ou deux filles sont amoureux." (Being gay is when two guys or two girls are in love.)

"Alright," said Katrina. Then she realized. "Wait, Daddy, are you in love with somebody?!"

Whoops. Now he was trapped. "Eh...oui. Viktor."

Katrina was so overjoyed, she was bouncing on the couch. "Are you gonna get married?! Is he gonna be my daddy too?"

"Whoa, Katie, ralentir." (Whoa, Katie, slow down.) Joe calmed her down. "Je ne suis pas prête à lui dire. J'ai besoin que tu gardes ça un secret." (I'm not ready to tell him. I need you to keep this a secret.)

Katrina was quiet for a bit, then looked back up at her father. "Okay."

It was now dinnertime. "Daddy, are you gonna tell Vikky you love him?" Katrina asked while trying to cut up her fish sticks with only a fork.

"Oui," said Joe, "mais pas maintenant. Je suis trop timide." (Yes, but not now. I'm too shy.)

"Well, when you tell him, I hope you do get married," said Katrina, piercing a fish chunk.

Joe sighed dreamily. "J'espère ça aussi." (I hope so too.)

Part 2: Secrets

It was an average Monday at the elementary school. The kindergarten class KJ was doing a worksheet on two-digit numbers, when Mrs. Jennings noticed that Katrina kept flexing her fingers. She only did that when she was anxious about something.

What is going on in her little head, she thought. Well, what do kindergarteners normally fret about?

When the bell rang for the students to go to lunch, Mrs. Jennings called Katrina over to talk to her. "You look antsy about something. Is everything okay?"

"Well," said Katrina, "it's about my daddy."

"Alright," said Mrs. Jennings, growing concerned. "What's wrong with daddy?"

"He wants me to keep a really big secret. Except it's really really hard to not tell people about it."

Mrs. Jennings wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. She had met Katrina's father a few times. He was a very nice man; surely this secret wasn't anything horrible. "Well...some secrets save lives, you know. I'm sure if you keep that secret, you'll make him very happy."

Katrina seemed, at the very least, satisfied with that answer. Still, Mrs. Jennings thought maybe she should talk to Joe about this. "Can you ask him to come inside to the classroom when he comes to pick you up?" Katrina nodded.

Later that day, when Joe came to pick up Katrina, Mrs. Jennings brought them inside to talk. She set Katrina up with a few board books at her chair, then sat down with Joe. "Katrina told me today that you want her to keep a secret, and it's making her stressed."

Joe pursed his lips. He should have realized that a secret that big was too much pressure for a five year old! The poor girl. "Elle ne pas te dire, a-t-elle?" (She didn't tell you, did she?)

"No," said Mrs. Jennings, "but she says it's hard to not tell."

Joe debated for a moment telling her. He figured it was safe; Mrs. Jennings didn't know Von Kaiser. "Eh bien, je vais te le dire. J'aime quelqu'un et je suis trop nerveux pour lui dire." (Well, I'll tell you. I like someone and I'm too nervous to tell him.)

Now Mrs. Jennings understood. "I see," she said. "That's why she wants to tell people so bad; she's probably very excited and happy for you."

"Elle était vraiment excitée quand je lui ai dit," said Joe, sheepishly. "Elle demande immédiatement si nous allions nous marier." (She was very excited when I told her. She instantly asked if we're going to get married.)

"I can tell she's a fan of this crush of yours," chuckled Mrs. Jennings. "Maybe you could talk to other people about your feelings; you know, people who can help you build courage and tell them to this person you like. Katrina will feel a lot less pressured if she had other people she can talk to about this secret."

Joe wasn't quite sure about that. Sure, Katrina could keep it under wraps, but he wasn't so sure about other people. Maybe Pierce? He was pretty trustworthy.

"D'accord. Je vais trouver quelqu'un d'autre pour parler avec à propos du secret." (Alright. I will find someone else to talk with about the secret.) He turned around to his daughter. "Katrina, nous avons fini. C'est le temps pour partir." (Katrina, we're finished. It's time to leave.)

Katrina nodded and put the board books back on the shelf. "Have you ever noticed that she flexes her fingers when she's anxious?" Mrs. Jennings whispered to Joe.

"Non, je ne pense pas oui." (No, I don't think so.) Joe went to collect his daughter. "Merci," he said to Mrs. Jennings before they left to return home.

Chapter Text

Qu'est-ce que c'est mon purpose dans la vie? (What is my purpose in life?)

It was the big question on Joe's mind as he lay awake early one crisp autumn morning. What was he put in this world to do?

Well, firstly, there was his boxing career, but like, that clearly wasn't the most successful path someone could take. Sure, it made him happy, and it supported his family, but there has to be more than just that.

He remembered that sometimes in his teenage years, his mother would compliment his cooking, and occasionally said there were dishes that he could make better than her. Maybe he was put in this world to cook.

But then again, cooking was only a small part of every ordinary day. Maybe that's not it.

Ooh, maybe there was some untapped potential in him that he just hasn't found yet. He always thought he had the appearance of a painter, or a writer. Maybe he could give it a try.

He jumped a bit when the alarm clock began to ring. When he turned to shut it off, Katrina beat him to the punch and clicked the button for him. "Daddy, it's time to wake up."

"Eh?" Joe sat up. "Katie, c'est tellement tôt, tu es déjà debout?" (Katie, it's so early, you're already up?)

"Yeah, cause I'm hungry," said Katrina, "and I can't reach the toaster by myself."

"Ah." Joe hauled himself out of bed. "Bien sûr." (Of course.)

As the two ate breakfast in the kitchen, Joe paid attention to Katrina's vibe. She didn't think much about what she was supposed to do with her life, she just...lived it. She took whatever the world threw at her and made the most of it.

"Mrs. Jennings is gonna continue reading us our fairy books today," said Katrina. "I hope that Pearl is gonna find her feather in this one."

"Hmm." Joe wordlessly acknowledged what she said, while continuing to observe how content his daughter was with just being in the world.

Maybe that's it. Maybe Joe didn't need an ulterior reasoning for being here, in this space, in this time. Maybe he was born just to live.

He thought about this on the walk to school, until he snapped back into Alert Dad Mode when they arrived, and he knelt down to hug his daughter goodbye. "Bye bye, Daddy."

Yeah. This was good. He lived to punch, cook, think, and be a parent to the sweetest little girl anyone could ask for. And that's all he needed to continue living.

Chapter Text

Part 1: Pop Notch

January is a month known for lots and lots of snow. It's certainly not a time you expect to see someone wearing just boxing trunks and boots. But when you work with the WVBA, you see some strange things.

"...Soda Popinski?"

"Да, это мое имя," said the very tall man. (Yes, that's my name.) He took a photo out of hammerspace and showed it to Pierce. "Это моя жена, Ивана Кикюрассис. А это наша собака, Миттен." (This is my wife, Ivana Kycurassis. And that is our dog, Mitten.)

Pierce looked at the photo. It was of Soda Pop, a woman with ice blue eyes and wavy blonde hair, and a Samoyed puppy. "Okay…well, whatever, we can get you in for your first fight tonight. 'Round here, everyone starts with ol' Joseph Beaufort."

And right on cue, Joe entered the arena, with Katrina trailing behind him. Katrina could not go to kindergarten that day because there was too much snow, so instead she was going to hang out at the arena that day. She stared up at this strange man. "Are you a giant?"

"Нет. Я просто очень высокий мужчина." (No. I am just a very tall man.) Soda Pop then turned to Joe, who was also very intimidated by his height. "Вы Джозеф?" (Are you Joseph?)

"O-oui," stammered Joe, shaking in his boots.

"Великий. Нам предстоит драться сегодня." (Great. We are going to fight today.) Soda Pop then marched off to get fitted into his gloves. Joe was certainly not looking forward to this class.

"In this corner, we have the WVBA's trooper, our unrelenting jobber, Joseph Beaufort! And in this corner, we have the fizziest of fighters, a fierce force from Moscow, Soda Popinski! Fight!"

Joe and Soda Pop began their match. The two men threw punches, dodged, and got the wind knocked out of them, like any other boxing match. However, before Joe could try and knock him down, Soda Pop hopped back and pulled from hammerspace, a green soda bottle.

"Видите ли, это секретное оружие великого Сода Попински!" (You see, this is the secret weapon of the great Soda Popinski!) He chugged the bottle's contents, and then went in for a harsh flurry of uppercuts. And down went Joe.

From there on, Joe could hardly get a punch in edgewise, because Soda Pop would either block, dodge, or just heal with his magic soda bottle. It was a long and brutal TKO.

Ты хороший противник, Джозеф," said Soda Pop upon emerging from the locker room. "Я с нетерпением жду следующей встречи на ринге." (You are a good opponent, Joseph. I look forward to our next meeting in the ring.)

Joe, still a bit uneasy from the beating, nodded and gave Soda Pop a weak "mmhmm" in response.

As the two men (and little girl) were heading out to hopefully get home before too much snow piled up, there were a trio of teenage girls gabbing about the match. One of the three, a blonde girl with twin braids tied with pink ribbons, approached them. "¡Dios mío, ustedes eran tan buenos!" (Oh my god, you guys were so good!)

Joe, feeling flustered, stepped back a bit. "C'est une vie." (It's a living.)

"¿Tienes tiempo para una selfie?" (Do you have time for a selfie?) The girl gathered everyone and snapped a selfie with her smartphone.

"Oh meu Deus, Carmen, você é tão viciada em selfie," another girl laughed. (Oh my god, Carmen, you're such a selfie addict.) The three of them crowded around to make sure they all looked good in the picture.

Joe shrugged and turned to Soda Pop. "Eh bien, je suppose que je vais te voir demain." (Well, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow.)

"Я увижу тебя тогда." (I will see you then.) The two men shook hands, Joe picked Katrina up, and the three of them parted ways for the day.

Part 2: Snowstorm

It was a cold February evening. Joe and Katrina were preparing to go home for dinner. "Alors, Viktor, tu as fini pour la nuit?" (So, Viktor, you're done for the night?)

"Ja," said Von Kaiser. "Ich fahre bald nach Hause." (Yes. I'll be heading home soon.)

Joe looked out the lounge window. The snow was coming down quite hard. Why, it wouldn't be right to put more people on the road than necessary. Yes, that would be cruel and downright irresponsible. "Veux-tu te rendre chez pour le dîner?" (Would you like to come to my place for dinner?)

Von Kaiser was surprised and flattered by the invitation. "Ja."

Joe smiled. He had successfully asked Von Kaiser on a not-quite date.

About half an hour later, all three had made it home safely. Katrina was excited to have people over, so Von Kaiser picked her up while Joe got dinner started. "I'm happy that you came over, Vikky," said Katrina. She went upstairs and came back down with a little book in her hands. "I started reading fairy books after Mrs. Jennings read us one in class. This one is about glitter and stuff."

A little bit later, when dinner was ready, the three of them sat down to eat their onion soup with carrot sticks. It was Joe's go-to meal for cold nights. "Also, Joseph, wie war deine Woche?" (So, Joseph, how was your week?)

"Eh, comme si, comme ca," said Joe. "J'avais un mal de tête par intermittence, mais Katie est venue tellement bien à lire sur elle-même." (Eh, alright. I've had an on-and-off headache, but Katie is getting really good at reading by herself.)

"That's the business," said Katrina, trying to talk like a grown-up. Joe and Von Kaiser laughed; they thought that was adorable.

Later into the night, after Katrina had gone off to bed, Joe and Von Kaiser settled on the couch to watch a movie together. "Sie sind ein sehr gastfreundlicher Mann, Joseph," said Von Kaiser. (You're a very hospitable man, Joseph.)

"Merci," mumbled Joe shyly. Viktor was complimenting him! Oh, that made him feel all fuzzy inside. "Uh, j'ai une chambre de rechange si tu veux rester la nuit." (Uh, I have a spare room if you want to stay the night.)

Von Kaiser nodded. "Das ist sehr nett von dir." (That is very kind of you.)

And indeed, once the movie ended, Joe showed Von Kaiser the spare room. The two of them sat and talked together until they felt sleepy and decided to retire for the night. "Gute Nacht, Joseph." (Good night, Joseph.)

Joe admittedly didn't want to leave just yet, but he figured Von Kaiser deserved his privacy. He stood up to leave the room. "Bonne nuit, Viktor." (Good night, Viktor.) He so wished they could have stayed in that bed together, but alas, it simply would not come to be that night. He sighed and walked upstairs to his own bed.

Chapter Text

Thirty-eight point six degrees Celsius. The magic "stay-at-home" number. Joe shook his head. "C'est un fievre, ma belle. Tu as besoin de rester ici aujourd'hui." (It's a fever, honey. You need to stay home today.)

"But I like kindergarten…" Katrina said sadly.

Joe ruffled her hair. "Je sais, mais ça ne va pas être si bien quand tu es malade." (I know, but it won't be much fun when you're sick.)

Katrina pouted and hid under the blankets. Joe sighed, and went downstairs to call the school.

"Bonjour, ceci c'est Joseph Beaufort. J'appelle pour t'informer que ma fille, Katrina Beaufort, ne va pas être à l'école aujourd'hui, parce qu'elle est malade." (Hello, this is Joseph Beaufort. I'm calling to inform you that my daughter, Katrina Beaufort, will not be in school today because she isn't feeling well.)

There's nothing really wrong with her, right? Just a fever and headache?

But then again, sometimes when someone's sick, it seems like it'll barely affect them at first, but then they get a lot worse.

No, that's crazy talk. What five-year-old just randomly contracts a major disease?

…But then again, there are staggering amounts of kids who die of cancer…

"Daddy?"

Joe jumped a bit when he heard his daughter's voice. He turned around, and Katrina clung to his legs. He picked her up and held her. "Oh la la, ma belle, tu m'effraies." (Oh, heavens, sweetheart, you startled me.)

Katrina clung to her father. She felt hot to the touch, and Joe could practically feel her head throbbing on his shoulder. To take her mind off her headache, he brought her to the living room and got out a box of photographs. "That looks just like the picture box Grandma has," said Katrina softly.

"Oui," said Joe. He picked the first picture up out of the rack. "Ceci c'est moi quand j'étais en école secondaire." (This is me when I was in high school.)

Katrina cocked her head. "You had a lot of hair."

Joe chuckled; he had very long hair until he chopped it all off for senior year. "Ca c'était cool en 2001, Katie." (That was cool in 2001, Katie.)

"I don't even know when 2001 was," griped Katrina.

"Eh bien," said Joe, "je tourne dix-sept ans cette année, et je suis presque trente maintenant, alors c'était treize années en passe." (Well, I turned seventeen that year, and I'm nearly thirty now, so it was thirteen years ago.) Thirteen years; mon dieu, that was a lot longer ago than he realised.

Katrina picked up a different picture from the box, one of fifteen-year-old Joe cheesing, having just had his braces taken off. "You look really happy here."

"Oui," said Joe, "et ici aussi." (Yes, and here too.) He showed her a picture of him doing a handstand on the bleachers. Katrina, losing interest, smushed her face into her father's chest. Joe rubbed her back, then laid her down on the couch for a nap.

That evening, as Katrina's headache was waning, Joe had her sip on some tomato soup, and let her pick a cartoon to watch. "Alors, ma belle, te sens-tu prête pour aller à la maternelle demain?" (So, sweetie, do you feel ready to go to kindergarten tomorrow?)

"Mmhmm," said Katrina sleepily. Joe let her finish the episode, then picked her up to bring her to bed. As he sat down on her bed, he rocked his precious child and softly hummed her an old French folk song.

"I'm gonna tell Claire that you got an A+ in science," mumbled Katrina, just before she completely drifted off. Joe tucked her into bed and kissed her good night.

So there. Katrina was going to be just fine. She would be back in school tomorrow. Nothing to worry about. Joe heaved a sigh of relief, and went to lie down in his own bed; his head was starting to throb.

Chapter Text

It was a blue-skied June evening. Since July was on its way, and that meant Bastille Day would be soon, Joe thought it would be nice to teach Katrina about the culture she came from.

Of course, it would be nice if she knew about her mother's culture as well. Once Katrina was tucked into bed, he searched on FriendFindr to see if Heather had a page on there. She did, and there was a recent post on there; a photo Marlowe had posted of the two plus Lizzie, wearing red maple leaf water tattoos on their faces and holding up sparklers. The caption read "Our last normal Canada Day…miss you girly ❤".

Canada Day. Okay, so Heather was Canadian. Joe did a bit more poking around, and found that Canada Day is July 1st. Wait, that was tomorrow! He quickly researched a few quick fun things to do on that day, and found "wearing red and white", "barbecuing", and "watching fireworks". Okay, that was simple.

The next day, when Katrina woke up, Daddy was urging her to wear her red dress with white polka dots. Being a curious almost-six-year-old, she had to ask why. "Aujourd'hui c'est la fête nationale canadienne, ma belle," he said. (Today is Canada Day, sweetie.)

Katrina cocked her head. "What's that?"

"C'est comme un anniversaire pour Canada," said Daddy. "Ca c'est ou ta mère est née." (It's like a birthday for Canada. That's where your mother was born.)

Now Katrina was curious. She got into her dress, ate some toast with butter, picked up a book to keep her occupied while Daddy was working, and trailed behind her father into the car.

When the Beauforts arrived at the arena, Pierce was registering a new guy. "Speak of the devil," he said when he saw Joe. "This is Barney, you two have a match this morning."

"Salut," said Joe, shaking Barney's hand. "Je m'appelle Joseph, et ceci c'est ma fille Katrina." (Hi. I'm Joseph, and this is my daughter Katrina.)

Katrina held up her book to Barney. "This is my fairy book. Her name is Lucy."

"Hey, fellas," said Barney. "Fellow Canucks, eh?"

"Eh, pas vraiment," admitted Joe. "J'étais né à Paris, alors ma fille est un demi française et un demi canadienne." (Eh, not really. I was born in Paris, so my daughter is half-French and half-Canadian.)

After settling Katrina in the children's room, the match was set to begin. "In this corner, we have the WVBA's trooper, our unrelenting jobber, Joseph Beaufort! And in this corner, we have a killer, a Canadian crusher, Bear Hugger! Fight!"

The fight began. The two threw a few simple jabs for a bit, before Bear Hugger went in for his signature Bear Hug. When he pulled Joe in, there was a loud crack. Joe winced, and when Bear Hugger let him out, he fell over. The Bear Hug had thrown his back out.

Pierce and Bear Hugger simply looked at him. "That was fast," said Pierce.

"Lemme help him," said Bear Hugger. He picked Joe up, with his back arched, and snapped him back up. "Better?"

"Oui," mumbled Joe, rubbing his back.

That evening, Joe fired up the barbecue to grill some hot dogs for dinner. He threw on four dogs; two for him and two for Katrina. He also put the buns on the grill to give them that amazing crunch. Look at him; sunglasses, sandals, khakis, and using a barbecue. This was peak Dad.

When the food was ready, the two of them sat on the back deck to eat. "This is fun," said Katrina. "We should do this every Canada Day."

"Attends quelques heures," said Joe, "et on peut regarder le feu d'artifice." (Wait a few hours, and we can watch the fireworks.)

"Ooh," cooed Katrina.

Sure enough, that evening, Joe and Katrina walked down to the park to watch the fireworks. Bear Hugger was there with his boyfriend, as were Lizzie and Marlowe. Katrina went off to play with Janet Bernard, who was there with her family.

At exactly eight o'clock, the fireworks began. Big pink sparkles and green booms lit up the sky. The crowd's eyes shined as they watched.

"Daddy, look!" Katrina shouted at a red firework that exploded into the shape of a heart.

After fifteen minutes, the show was over. Katrina sleepily shuffled back to her father, who picked her up to bring her home. Riding on Daddy's back, barely able to keep her eyes open, she decided that staying up past bedtime wasn't as fun as she thought it was.

Two weeks later, it was Bastille Day. It was a Beaufort family tradition that on Bastille Day, they would have a dinner of onion soup, baguettes with butter, and madeleines. "Sais-tu pourquoi on mange ça chaque 14 juillet?" (Do you know why we eat this every July 14th?)

When Katrina shook her head, Joe continued. "Aujourd'hui c'est la fête nationale française." (Today is France's national holiday.)

"Ooh," said Katrina. She munched on a madeleine.

"Oui," said Joe, "et ceci c'est la célébration traditionnelle dans notre famille. Ta grand-mère a cuisiné ce repas chaque année quand j'étais un p'tit garçon." (Yes, and this is the traditional celebration in our family. Your grandmother cooked this meal every year when I was a little boy.)

That night, as Katrina was crawling into bed, Joe presented her with a small book. "Tu connais les photos de nous-mêmes de notre première Halloween ensemble?" (You know the pictures of us on our first Halloween together?)

"Uh huh," said Katrina.

"Ceci c'est le livre que nos costumes étaient dériver," said Joe. (This is the book that our costumes were derived from.)

He opened up the book to begin reading. Katrina became attached by the first chapter, because the narrator said he was six years old, which was a very big deal to recently-turned-six-year-old her.

Eventually, she began to get too tired to stay awake, and laid back into her bed. Joe closed the book, tucked her in, and kissed her forehead. "On va finir demain." (We'll finish it tomorrow.)

Chapter Text

It was a chilly November afternoon; a Thursday, to be precise. Joe huddled into his scarf while waiting for Katrina to get out of school. Soon enough, the bell rang, and the teacher corralled the students outside to get picked up.

All the way home, Katrina talked about Claire, and how she had been telling her about a sleepover she had been to a few weeks ago. "It sounded like the funnest thing ever," she concluded. "I wish I could have been there."

Joe mulled on that for a bit. Katrina didn't have friends over very much. And he wasn't very acquainted with many other parents in the school. Maybe this was a golden opportunity for the both of them. "Tu sais, Katie, nous pouvons passer une soirée pyjama ici à notre maison." (You know, Katie, we can host a sleepover at our house.)

"Really?" Katrina's eyes sparkled at the idea.

"Oui," said Joe. "Tu peux inviter Claire, et nous pouvons regarder un film ou quelque chose." (Yeah. You can invite Claire, and we can watch a movie or something.)

Katrina leapt into Joe's arms. "Thank you, Daddy! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

Joe held his daughter close. He was happy to have made her so excited.

The next day, when school let out, from a slick black car stepped Viona Gwan, the neighbourhood "cool mom". Sharply dressed, never late, and always remembering school events; yes, she was the envy of many a parent at Pine Needle Elementary School.

Today's agenda; arrange sleepover specifications with Katrina's dad. And there he was, knelt down talking to her. He was an awkward, lanky sort of fellow; a single parent just trying to keep it together, she guessed.

Nevertheless, once she had collected her daughter, Viona went to speak with him and extended her finest graces. "Mr. Beaufort, so nice to finally meet you."

"Bonjour, Mme. Gwan." Joe shook Viona's hand.

"Oh, we don't need to be so formal," said Viona, "my name's Viona."

"Et moi, c'est Joseph," said Joe. (And I am Joseph.)

"So," said Viona, "where are we planning this, my place or yours?"

"Je préfère qu'elles se rendent chez moi," said Joe. "Je suis nerveux de laisser Katrina rester à une autre place toute seule pour si longtemps." (I prefer that they come to my place. I'm nervous about leaving Katrina somewhere else alone for so long.)

"Alright," said Viona, "but me and the wife don't bite, you know." She took out a notepad from her purse. "How does next weekend sound?"

"Ca c'est parfait," said Joe. (That's perfect.)

"Perfect," said Viona. "The girls can have their sleepover, and me and Wifey-poo can have some one-on-one time."

"Eh bien, j'espère que vous passez un bon moment," said Joe. (Alright, I hope you have a good time.)

"I hope so too," said Viona. "You know, ever since we finally got a healthy ultrasound for the baby, Cath's been so anxious about everything. Names, clothes, the delivery; it all gives her the jeebies."

"Oh, je ne savant pas que vous étiez enceinte, félicitations!" (Oh, I didn't know you were expecting, congratulations!)

"Yeah," said Viona. "Claire didn't blab nearly as much as we thought. I don't think it's quite sunk in yet that she's going to be a big sister." She closed her notepad. "Right; next weekend after school. I'll be seeing you then."

Katrina and Claire paid little attention to what their parents were talking about. They were more interested in the books they had been reading recently. "You're already all the way at Lucy? I'm only at Abigail."

"Yeah, they're really easy to go through when you sign up to go to the library at lunch time," mused Katrina.

A week passed, and as planned, Viona came around 5:30 to drop off Claire. "Tu es juste en temps pour le dîner," said Joe, welcoming Claire inside. "J'ai cuisiné le gratin de fromage." (You're just in time for dinner. I made cheese gratin.)

"I've never had that before," said Claire, leaving her backpack and Hello Kitty sleeping bag by the stairs.

"I think you'll like it," said Katrina. "It's like macaroni and cheese, except a casserole, and it's got bread in it instead of macaroni."

"Alors, avez-vous choisi un film à regarder ce soir?" (So, have you picked a movie to watch tonight?) Joe asked the girls while they were eating.

"Kitty on the Water," said Katrina.

"It's an amine," said Claire.

"D'accord," chuckled Joe; he found Claire's mispronunciation adorable. "Je vais être ici, travailler sur des papiers, si tu me besoin." (Alright. I'll be here, working on papers, if you need me.)

About two hours later, Joe found himself waking up head down on the table; he had fallen asleep after finishing his papers. He rubbed his eyes, and pulled himself up to put the girls to bed.

…Except, when he entered the living room, the TV was turned off, and neither Katrina nor Claire were anywhere to be seen.

Thinking of the first place they could have gone, he went upstairs to Katrina's bedroom, where the two of them were laying in bed, fast asleep. The sight of it melted Joe's heart. He took a picture of it to send to Viona, shut the light off, and kissed both of them goodnight.

The next morning, Joe was humming a jaunty little tune to himself while preparing some French toast for breakfast when there was a knock at the door. He turned the stove off, plated the toast, and went to answer, where he found Viona waiting for him.

"Salut," said Joe. "Tu es tôt ce matin. Viens, reste pour le p'tit déjeuner." (Hi. You're early this morning. Come in, stay for breakfast.)

"You're too kind," said Viona as she came inside. "Are the girls still asleep?"

"Oui," said Joe, looking at the staircase. The two of them went upstairs to wake their daughters.

"Hi, momma," mumbled Claire sleepily. Katrina sat up, her hair a wild mess. All four, the Beauforts and the Gwans, went back downstairs for some nice French toast.

"Did you have fun?" Viona asked Claire.

"Uh huh," said Claire. "We watched our movie and it was good."

"That's good," said Viona. "Oh, and we got a call from the doctor this morning. You're going to have a baby sister."

"Cool," said Claire as she finished her toast.

"Thank you for having her," said Viona to Joe, getting up to go.

"De rien," said Joe, handing her a sandwich bag with some more toast inside. "Ceci, c'est pour ta femme." (You're welcome. And this is for your wife.)

Viona and Claire left to go about their day. As for the Beauforts, Katrina pulled herself up into Joe's lap and hugged him. "I love you, daddy."

"Je t'adore aussi," said Joe, kissing her forehead. (I love you too.)

Chapter Text

It came quickly, and it came suddenly. Joe woke up that morning feeling absolutely dreadful. Everything from his head to his bones was aching. He weakly pushed himself upright and looked around the room. The sun was barely rising, and the clock read 6:56. He groaned; this was terrible. Of all the people to suddenly become ill, it had to be him! Why, who would look after Katrina?

He put a hand over his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to soothe his headache. Worrying already made him feel lousy, so worrying with this awful flu would have just been unbearable. Surely it wasn't that bad, and he could still mind his daughter.

Then the hall light clicked on, and he found himself recoiling as the light shot pain through his head like a bullet. Nope; it was definitely the stay-in-bed kind of day. He squinted at the doorway, and could just barely make out Katrina's tiny silhouette.

"Katrina?" Joe croaked his daughter's name. "C'est très tôt, pourquoi es-tu debout?" (It's very early, why are you up?)

"I woke up and couldn't go back asleep," mumbled Katrina, still sleepy. She came into the room and pulled herself onto his bed.

"Je me suis aussi réveillée trop tôt," whispered Joe, trying not to strain his voice. (I also woke up too early.)

Katrina gave him a funny look. "Daddy, your nose is red like strawberries. It's not supposed to look like that."

"Je sais," said Joe. "Je suis désolé, Katie, mais je me sens tellement malade ce matin." (I know. I'm sorry, Katie, but I feel terribly sick this morning.)

"Oh." Katrina crawled closer to his side. "Would a hug make it better?"

"Je suppose que oui…" Katrina snuggled into her father's lap and wrapped her arms around him. "Mais attention, ma belle, tu pourrais attraper cette grippe aussi." (I suppose so...but careful, sweetie, you could catch this flu too.) Katrina seemed to pay no mind to this warning, as she still clung to him. And he didn't mind; having her there put him at ease.

The phone rang. Joe winced at the sound. Katrina got down and went to pick it up. He could vaguely make out her little voice saying hello, and before long, she came shuffling back. "There's no school today. There's too much snow everywhere from last night."

That's right; they had gotten buried in snow the night before, and if he remembered correctly, it was supposed to start up again later this morning. Okay, so Katrina was going to be at home today. That was good and bad. Good to have his daughter here, where she's warm, safe, and happy, but bad because he barely felt able to stand up.

"Y'know, the sky's a very pretty colour when the sun rises," said Katrina, seemingly out of nowhere. Not like that was abnormal; she had always had a short attention span. She opened the curtains, so her father could see too. She was right; the sky was a lovely shade of tangerine orange melting into cerise pink studded with dark wisps of clouds. It was like looking at a painting.

"C'est si belle, chérie." As stressful as the day was going to be, having his daughter there made Joe feel at least a little bit better. (It's very beautiful, love.)

Over in the arena, things were starting to get into the groove. Everything was set up for any fights they might have that day.

In the front lobby, Pierce's attention was caught by a young man approaching him. He was tall and slender, with the wispy beginnings of a moustache on his lip.

"सुप्रभात सर।," he said. "क्या मैं सही जगह पहुँच गया हूँ?" (Good morning, sir. Am I in the right place?)

"If you were looking for the WVBA, then yes." Pierce shook his hand. "Pierce Adamson."

"मेरा नाम अमर खान है।." Amar gave him a warm smile. "मैं शुरुआत करने के लिए उत्साहित हूं।." (My name is Amar Khan. I'm excited to get started.)

"Alright," said Pierce, "usually we start new guys against Joseph Beaufort, but we haven't seen him yet today." He turned to look behind him. "Viktor! Can you call Joe, I don't think he's here yet."

Von Kaiser nodded, and dialed the number into the phone. It rang twice before picking up. "Hello?" A little voice tittered; Katrina.

"Guten Morgen, Katrina. Ist dein Vater da?" (Good morning, Katrina. Is your father there?) What was Katrina doing at home at 8:30 am on a Friday?

"Yeah, daddy's here, but he's in bed," said Katrina. "He's sick."

"Oh, das ist schrecklich," said Von Kaiser. "Kann ich mit ihm reden?" (Oh, that's terrible. Can I speak to him?)

"Uh-huh." The line went quiet, safe for rapid little footsteps and a muffled 'it's for you'. Then he heard Joe's voice. "Bonjour?"

"Meine Güte, du klingst schrecklich." (Gosh, you sound awful.) Von Kaiser sighed. "Wir haben einen neuen Typen und sie wollen, dass du gegen ihn kämpfst." (We got a new guy today, and they want you to fight him.)

"Oh, Viktor, je suis tellement désolé, mais je ne peux pas," moaned Joe, "je me sens horrible. Tout fait mal; ma gorge, ma tête-" (Oh, Viktor, I'm terribly sorry, but I can't. I feel horrible. Everything hurts; my throat, my head-)

"Hörzu, Joseph, ich glaube dir. Ich werde bald da sein." (Listen, Joseph, I believe you. I'll be there soon.) Von Kaiser hung up and brushed past Pierce and Amar. "Er kommt nicht. Er ist sehr krank." (He's not coming. He's very sick.)

"Wait, where are you going?" Pierce called after him.

"Machst du Witze?" Von Kaiser turned back for a moment. "Er ist allein, nur mit seinem Sechsjährigen da. Sie brauchen mich beide." (Are you kidding? He's alone, with only his six-year-old there. They both need me.) With that, off he went.

"Great," grumbled Pierce. Now they were two boxers down. He turned to Amar. "Look, I'll spar with you for your first match. We'll get you set up with our regular guy once he's available."

After checking and verifying his papers, Pierce stepped into the ring to fight a match against Amar; or as he called himself, Great Tiger.

The snow was beginning to come down again, but luckily, Von Kaiser had made it before it got really bad. He let himself in. It was eerily quiet inside; as if only the ghosts of his dear friends remained. "Hallo?" He called. Surely Joe and Katrina couldn't have gone anywhere that soon; especially not in this cold and with Joe's condition. He looked around, and figured they might be upstairs. Upon investigation, he found he was correct; Joe hadn't been out of bed yet, and Katrina was curled up in his arms. Both were lightly napping.

Katrina blinked her big brown eyes open when she heard him enter, and when she saw him, she nudged her father awake. "Vikky's here," she said quietly. Joe rubbed his eyes, and a bit of light seemed to come back to him when he saw his good companion by his side.

"Oh, Viktor, je te dois beaucoup de mercis," said Joe with a weak smile. He was incredibly grateful that Von Kaiser had come over. "Je ne savais pas ce que je ferais sans toi." (Oh, Viktor, I owe you a lot of thanks. I don't know what I would have done without you.)

"Wie fühlst du dich?" Von Kaiser wanted to get straight to the point. "Halsschmerzen, Kopfschmerzen. Was ist noch falsch?" (How do you feel? Sore throat, headache; what else is wrong?)

"J'ai la tête qui tourne," mumbled Joe, "et je me sens terriblement nauséeux, je ne pense pas que je peux manger un chose." (My head is spinning, and I feel terribly nauseated. I don't think I could eat a thing.)

Von Kaiser took his wrist and pressed a thumb on the inside, feeling for a pulse. His heartbeat was normal, if a bit feeble. He beckoned for Katrina to find the thermometer, and after a temperature check, the readings came out rather distressing; 39.5℃.

"Du bist hart runtergekommen, nicht wahr?" (You've crashed hard, haven't you?) Von Kaiser pulled Joe into a one-armed hug. Joe laid his head on his shoulder and hoped that the hot feeling in his face was just fever.

"Vikky, is daddy gonna be okay?" The worried look in Katrina's eyes told Von Kaiser that she was hoping for good news.

"Es wird ihm gut gehen. Er braucht nur etwas Ruhe." (He'll be fine. He just needs some rest.) Von Kaiser pulled back a bit, and noticed that even with a thick blanket and his own body heat, Joe was still trembling like a shy puppy. "Ist dir kalt?" (Are you cold?)

"Oui! Terriblement, désespérément froid." Joe shrunk into himself when he saw concern spread across Von Kaiser and Katrina's faces. "...Mais ce n'est pas un grave problème." (Yes! Dreadfully, desperately cold. ...But it's not a big deal.)

"Oh nein, fang nicht an an dir zu zweifeln. Du bist krank, du musst warm sein." (Oh, no, don't you start to doubt yourself. You're sick, you need to be warm.) Von Kaiser scooped up Joe, blanket and all, and brought him downstairs to the living room, closer to the central heat of the house. Katrina trailed behind him, amused to see someone carry her father like he often carried her. Joe mumbled a weak merci as Von Kaiser laid him down on the couch.

"Do you think watching a show will make him feel better?" Katrina asked.

"Nun, wenn überhaupt, wird es ihn davon ablenken." (If anything, it will take his mind off it.) The three sat together, and after flipping through talk shows, a boring news report, a Happiness Charge rerun, and an old Western flick, Katrina found that a new family sitcom was premiering that morning. Intrigued, they tuned in. It was a cute little show, with lots of funny jokes for the adults, and a six-year-old girl character that Katrina found herself getting very attached to. It made the whole lot of them feel a whole lot better.

Back at the arena, Pierce was desperately regretting entering the ring. Great Tiger was impossible to catch!

"मैं तेज़ हूँ, नहीं?" He smirked. (I'm fast, no?)

"Yeah," gasped Pierce, dropping to his knees. One more down, and it would be a TKO for him. Curse after curse raged through his mind. Joseph Beaufort, you are gonna pay for this!

The snowstorm was starting to pick back up again outside, but Von Kaiser and the Beauforts were warm inside. Joe was getting some much-needed sleep, while Katrina showed Von Kaiser the book they were reading in her class. Almost like clockwork, Joe began to stir as Katrina reached the point at which they had left off the previous day. Von Kaiser stood up. "Dein Vater wird bald aufwachen. Ich mache ihm Tee." (Your father will wake up soon. I'll make him some tea.)

"What kind of tea?" Katrina cocked her head.

"Ingwer. Es wird seinen Magen beruhigen." (Ginger. It will soothe his belly.) He went into the kitchen. Katrina put her book back into her bookbag, and heard her father mumbling sleepily. She went to his side as he woke up, disoriented.

"Où suis-je?" (Where am I?) Joe looked around the room.

"We're downstairs, daddy," said Katrina.

"Oh...oui, je me souviens maintenant." (Oh...yes, I remember now.) He shook his head a bit to set himself straight. At that point, Von Kaiser came back with tea for three. Each gently sipped their sweet elixir.

Back at the arena, Pierce had had just about enough of these shenanigans and dropped to his knees yet again. TKO.

"आप बहुत निष्पक्ष खेल हैं।." (You are a fair opponent.) Great Tiger shook his hand. Pierce did not respond. He was too busy thinking of which opponent would be the hardest to pit Joe against next.

The storm had hit hard. Outside, thick white flakes the size of grapes beat down on the street at a rapid pace. Katrina watched with a spark of awe in her eyes. That was a lot of snow.

Her attention diverted away from the window when she heard her father cough harshly. Except unlike normally, he didn't stop at two or even three; he just kept going. He sounded like he was choking.

Von Kaiser went to his side and put a hand on his back. "Atme, Joseph!" (Breathe, Joseph!) Joe struggled for air through each cough, until he was finally able to breathe again. Von Kaiser took his hand. "Bist du in Ordnung?" (Are you okay?)

"J'avais l'impression que mon coeur allait exploser," gasped Joe. (I thought my heart would explode.) Seeing his daughter's fearful expression, he scooped her up and held her tight. "Je suis tellement désolée de t'avoir effrayé, ma belle. Je t'adore." (I'm so sorry for scaring you, darling. I love you.)

"Ihr Zustand verschlechtert sich." Von Kaiser stood up. "Ich werde einen Arzt rufen." (Your condition is getting worse. I'll call a doctor.) He dialed the number for a local clinic and waited for someone to pick up.

Katrina laid her head down and squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe if she wished hard enough, everything would go back to normal. She could barely hear what Von Kaiser was saying into the phone; she only picked up on the doctor's big-people words like "pre-scrip-shun" and "paw-see-bill new-mo-nia".

Finally, Von Kaiser came back into the living room. "Der Arzt hält um 14:00 Uhr ein Rezept für Sie bereit." (The doctor will have a prescription ready for you at 2:00.)

"Tu es vraiment gentil," said Joe softly. (You are very kind.) His voice was little more than a raspy croak. He held Katrina and stroked her hair, trying to ease her nerves.

It was almost 2 o'clock, and the snow was not letting up. Von Kaiser was pacing back and forth down the hallway. He was going to have to go out in that weather to get Joe's medicine. The clinic wasn't far; in fact, he could walk there. Still, he wasn't quite sure if he had it in him to leave his dear friend alone when he was so gravely ill. And what about Katrina? What could she do if, heaven forbid, something happened while he was gone?

As he passed the doorway to the living room once more, the Beauforts caught his eye. Both were asleep. Joe was pale, like only a hollow shell of himself was really there. Katrina was curled up in his arms, just like she had been that morning. He clenched his jaw. It was a tough choice, but he had to do it. He nudged Katrina.

"Ich hole die Medizin deines Vaters. Wenn etwas passiert, nimmst du den Hörer ab und ruft die Nummer an, die ich auf das Papier geschrieben habe." (I'm going for your father's medicine. If anything happens, you pick up the phone and call the number I wrote on the paper.)

Katrina nodded, and laid her head back down. Von Kaiser was at ease. He knew that would help; nobody could soothe Joe's fragile nerves better than her. Alright, enough stalling; time to go get that prescription. He geared up and set out into the cold January wind.

At the pharmacy register, Judy Dahl tapped her finger on the counter. Because of the snow, customers were scarce. She wasn't sure if she should be grateful that people were staying inside where they were safe, or worried that people might not have access to vital medicine.

She jumped a bit when she heard the door open. A redheaded man with a moustache entered the building. He had little clumps of snow all over him. Judy jumped back into customer service mode. "Can I help you?"

"Ich bin hier, um ein Rezept für Joseph Beaufort abzuholen," said the man. (I'm here to pick up a prescription for Joseph Beaufort.)

"Okay, Joseph," said Judy. "I have it in the back."

"Nein, ich bin nicht Joseph," said the man. "Ich bin Viktor, ein Freund. Joseph ist zu krank, um es selbst zu bekommen." (No, I'm not Joseph. I'm Viktor, a friend. Joseph is too ill to get it himself.)

"Oh, that's too bad," said Judy, handing him the medicine. "But it's very kind of you to get his medicine."

"Danke," said Viktor. (Thank you.)

Joe found himself waking up woozy, like everything around him was blurred. He could scarcely make out Katrina on the other side of the couch, looking at a flyer from many years back.

"Daddy, is this you?" Katrina pointed to an image in the paper. Joe rubbed his eyes and looked at it. It was a flyer from his first fight against Von Kaiser.

"Oui, ça c'est moi," said Joe. "C'était d'un match qui se passe avant ta naissance." (Yes, that's me. It was from a match that happened before you were born.)

They both jumped a bit when the door opened. Von Kaiser had returned with the medicine. "Oh, Viktor, je ne peux pas remercier assez," said Joe, sitting up. (Oh, Viktor, I can't thank you enough.)

"Es war nichts," said Von Kaiser, pulling his gear off. (It was nothing.) He got Joe to take his medicine.

"Tu es tellement brave pour retrouver cette médecine dans cette neige," said Joe with a warm smile. (You're very brave to get this medicine in this snow.)

"Ich kümmere mich um dich, Joseph. Ich konnte dich nicht so leiden lassen." (I care about you, Joseph. I couldn't let you suffer like that.) Von Kaiser pressed his forehead to Joe's, putting them both at ease.

Later in the evening, after Von Kaiser had brought Joe back upstairs and bid his farewells, Katrina crawled up into bed next to him with her favourite storybook. She wanted to read it to him in lieu of him reading her a bedtime story.

Once Katrina finished reading the story, she smoothed the blanket out over him and kissed his nose. "Good night, Daddy." She hopped off the bed and wandered off.

Joe smiled weakly as he watched her leave. Why, she was acting like his mother. He shook his head and softly chuckled as he let himself drift off.

Several days later, it was Wednesday. The snow had let up, Katrina was back in school, and Joe was feeling good as new. He entered the arena with a bit of a spring in his step and found Pierce waiting for him. "Bon matin, Pierce. Désolé d'être indisponible l'autre jour." (Good morning, Pierce. Sorry for being unavailable the other day.)

"Oh, it's fine," said Pierce with a smile that Joe thought he may be faking. "I set you up with the perfect match to make up for it." He ushered in Joe's opponent for that day...Soda Popinski.

"Uh, est-ce que ca c'est vraiment nécessaire?" Joe asked nervously. (Uh, is this really necessary?)

"Oh, yes it is," said Pierce with a smirk. Boy, this match was going to be very satisfying to watch...

Chapter Text

With March comes a lot of wind, and that was very fitting weather for the WVBA's newest boxer.

In from the blustering weather came a tall woman with curls of blonde and lips of Dangerous Woman Red lipstick, fresh from the Premier Bisou multi pack. She pulled her cool shades from her eyes and scanned the back area.

"Ah, you must be Beth," said Pierce, going over to her. "Just gotta get all your paperwork finalized."

Pierce confirmed all the information on the registry sheet; thirty-one years old, from Bristol, England, starting at the bottom of the Minor Circuit under the name Flying Feather.

Looking around the area, Flying Feather noticed that she was quite possibly the only woman in the league. No matter; she liked showing the boys what's good. She slid her shades into her duffel bag and hauled off to the locker room.

"So, what brings you to our league?"

Bear Hugger was trying to make small talk with Flying Feather while waiting for Joe to be ready for the match.

"I needed a career change," said Flying Feather. "I was a pilot for years, but after a while, it just starts to feel all the same. After I had my daughter, I took my maternity leave to find somewhere new, and well, here I am."

"How old's yer daughter now?"

"She'll be one in May." Flying Feather crossed her arms. "Feisty little thing, she is."

Just then, Joe finally emerged from the locker room. "Joey boy's got a daughter, too," said Bear Hugger. "How old is she again? Six?"

"Elle va avoir sept ans en juillet," said Joe, a bit shy. (She'll be seven in July.)

"See? I was close." Bear Hugger looked quite proud of himself.

"In this corner, we have the WVBA's trooper, our unrelenting jobber, Joseph Beaufort! And in this corner, we have a flighty femme fatale, prepping to give you a crash landing, Flying Feather! Fight!"

Watch for the vulnerable point. Flying Feather remembered the most valuable tip she had picked up while preparing to enter the boxing world. And it was pretty easy; Joe always had an open space left to attack. He couldn't protect his face without leaving his stomach open, and whenever he switched, he'd just leave somewhere else open, ripe for the punching.

Flying Feather was also very fast, just like the planes she used to fly. She was easily able to get around all of Joe's jabs and knock back with a trio of hooks.

Soon enough, Joe was on the floor, and it didn't take long until Pierce was declaring a TKO. Flying Feather shook the dust off of her gloves. Her boxing career was off to a good start.

After the ring had been cleared, Flying Feather emerged from the locker room, back in her rock t-shirt and shades, where she was approached by another boxer. "You and I look like we would make a great team," said Mr. Sandman. "What do you say? Partners in crime?"

Flying Feather smirked. "You flatter me."

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Joe slumped down on a bench, with that daughter of his by his side. He looked dazed, and like he was going to throw up. Flying Feather approached him. "I didn't knock you too bad there, did I, Joey boy?"

"He'll be okay," said his daughter softly. "He just has a sore tummy."

Based on her certainty, Flying Feather guessed that this was a regular thing for Joe and his family. His poor wife, she thought, having him come home like that every night.

Joe hauled himself up. "Je vais être ça va." (I'll be okay.) He gestured for his daughter to follow him. "Viens, Katrina, on va avoir de la soupe tomate et des sandwiches au fromage grillé pour le dîner." (Come on, Katrina, we're having tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner.)

Flying Feather watched them leave. "He looks like he's about to yak his lungs out. How can he be thinking about eating dinner, let alone cooking it?"

Mr. Sandman shrugged. "Joey boy's a tough one. Or, at least, he pretends to be, for his little girl."

Flying Feather sighed. "I guess I won't judge him for that. I'm doing the same for my Emma." She hauled her duffel bag over her shoulder. "Right. I'll see you tomorrow, partner in crime."

Mr. Sandman smirked right back at her. "The World Circuit awaits!"

Chapter Text

It was a fair, if windy Monday afternoon in April. In less than an hour, Pine Needle Elementary School would let the K-2 students out for the day. Joe was putting soap in the washing machine to do a load of laundry when his phone buzzed with a message. He fished it out of his back pocket to find a text from Viona.

missvi123 sent: are u there

joebeaufort84 sent: ?

missvi123 sent: can u take claire

joebeaufort84 sent: ???

missvi123 sent: please im at the hospital i cant take her

missvi123 sent: baby is coming!!!

Oh. Oh! That was certainly a pickle. No, more than just a pickle; it was the whole jar! This was not going to be a normal day for anyone!

Over at the elementary school, the students were being dismissed for the day. When Katrina found her dad, he was looking frantic. "Où est Claire?" (Where's Claire?)

"Over there," said Katrina, pointing to Claire standing with Mr. Lucien. "Why?"

Joe went over to Claire and Mr. Lucien. "Bonjour, M. Lucien," he said, starting to run out of breath. "Claire vient avec moi et Katrina cet après-midi." (Hello, Mr. Lucien. Claire is coming with me and Katrina this afternoon.)

"Why, what happened?" Mr. Lucien was confused.

"Ses mères sont à l'hôpital," said Joe. "Mme. Gwan-Jameson est en labeur." (Her mothers are at the hospital. Mrs. Gwan-Jameson is in labour.)

"Oh!" Mr. Lucien snapped his back up straight. "Of course!"

"What's labour?" Claire asked, staring up at Joe.

"It means your baby sister is being born," said Mr. Lucien.

My baby sister is being born? Now? Claire was very quiet. She didn't exactly know how to feel.

Joe ushered Claire and Katrina home quickly. Once they were inside, he went to the kitchen and picked up the phone to call Viona. After three rings, she answered. "Hello?"

"Bonjour, Viona, c'est Joseph," said Joe. "J'ai Claire. Comment va ta femme?" (Hello, Viona, it's Joseph. I have Claire. How is your wife doing?)

"The doctors are getting her induced," said Viona, frazzled. "She may not be ready to start pushing for a few hours. I'm really sorry to have sprung this on you so last-minute."

"Non, non, c'est correct," said Joe, "ces choses vont se passer." (No, no, it's okay. These things happen.)

As Joe sat on the phone, trying to ease Viona's nerves, Katrina and Claire sat on the couch in the living room. They had put some PAW Patrol on to watch, with the volume lowered so they could still listen to the call.

"I wonder if my baby sister will like me," said Claire.

"I hope she does," said Katrina. She was then quickly distracted by the TV. "Ooh, look at the deer."

"This is one of the episodes with that new puppy, isn't it?" Claire mused. "There's snow everywhere, so they gotta use the snow puppy."

It was early the next morning when Joe's phone buzzed with a message. He picked it up and opened the message, which was a photo of Cath holding a newborn baby, with the text "baby is here!". The most recent message was "Are you awake?"

joebeaufort84 sent: bon matin (good morning) (6:35 am)

missvi123 sent: We're ready for visits whenever you and the girls are ready. (6:35 am)

joebeaufort84 sent: 👍 (6:36 am)

A half-hour later, after breakfast and a quick shower, Joe, Katrina, and Claire drove over to the hospital. When they arrived at the correct room, Cath and Viona were inside cooing to their newborn baby girl.

"Claire," said Cath softly when she saw her stepdaughter, "this is your baby sister. Her name is Daisy Ann."

Claire looked at Daisy. Daisy looked back at Claire. Claire thought Daisy looked like the perfect mix of her mother and stepmother. Daisy was just trying to figure out who Claire was.

"Elle regarde beaucoup comme Katrina quand elle était un bebe," fawned Joe. (She looks a lot like Katrina when she was a baby.)

Daisy grinned and raised an arm. "Salut," cooed Joe to her.

Just then, a doctor came in holding a document. "Mrs. Gwan-Jameson, Mrs. Gwan, we need you both to sign the birth certificate."

She handed them the paper and a pen, and they both signed.

"This certificate is to welcome the birth of Daisy Ann Gwan-Jameson, born on April 13th, 2015 at 4:08 am weighing 7 lbs 9 oz to Catherine Gwan-Jameson and Viona Gwan."

Looking at the time, Joe realized he needed to get the girls to school. He bid Cath and Viona farewell and one last congratulations before he ushered them to the parking lot.

Chapter Text

Part 1: Anxiety Attack

It was a rainy May evening. Von Kaiser and Dingo Bone were coming out of a match. Von Kaiser had won, and Dingo Bone was feeling quite bitter about it.

"Oi!" Dingo Bone confronted Von Kaiser in the locker room. "Ye think yer real hot stuff, don'tcha?"

Von Kaiser and Joe looked up. Von Kaiser stood up. "Ich habe gewonnen, du hast verloren. Einfach." (I won, you lost. Simple.)

"Yeah, ya big yutz, ya like to act like yer tough, but I bet I could snap you in half!" Dingo Bone got close and personal with Von Kaiser.

Joe tried to mediate. "Doucement, tout le monde, on ne besoin pas de bagarre." (Easy, everyone, we don't need to fight.) He felt his chest getting a bit tight.

"Piss off, stick boy, this ain't about you!" Dingo Bone pushed Joe away. Joe slipped and fell, hitting his arm on the bench as he hit the floor. Dingo Bone then continued to tear into Von Kaiser. "Yeah, you're probably too scared to fight me like a real man!"

"Mir gefällt nicht, wie Sie mit mir sprechen." (I don't like the way you're speaking to me.) Von Kaiser gave Dingo Bone a stern look.

Dingo Bone shoved Von Kaiser. "Come on, do it, wimp!"

"S'il vous plait, arrête!" Joe cried. (Please, stop!) He could only watch, holding his sore arm, as the two fought.

"Fassen Sie mich nicht an!" (Don't touch me!) Von Kaiser glared at Dingo Bone. Dingo Bone went for another push, which Von Kaiser intercepted. The two began to bicker harshly.

Joe could feel every part of him shaking. Oh mon Dieu. Oh mon Dieu. Everything was so loud. Everything was screaming. He felt dizzy. He felt sick. Why was this happening?!

It was all too much.

And so Joe pulled his knees in and just cried.

Von Kaiser noticed, and wrestled Dingo Bone away to sit with him. "Hey...das war nicht deine Schuld." (Hey…this wasn't your fault.) He held Joe and rubbed his back.

Dingo Bone stormed out of the locker room, and not long after, Katrina came in, having escaped the children's room looking for her father. "Daddy?"

"S'il vous plaît, juste va-t'en…" He sobbed. (Please, just go away...)

Katrina was conflicted, and a little scared. Daddy was always there for her when she cried, so why didn't he want her to be there for him now that he's crying?

Von Kaiser helped Joe up from the floor. "Komm, ich bringe dich nach Hause." (Come on, I'll take you home.)

A bit later, Von Kaiser and the Beauforts arrived home. Von Kaiser sat Joe on the couch and went to start dinner. Katrina crawled up into her father's lap, and Joe held her tight. "Why were you crying, Daddy?"

"Je ne sais pas…" Joe shook his head. "Je suppose que la situation était trop grave pour que mon cerveau s'occupe." (I don't know…I think the situation was too much for my brain to process.)

Joe quietly cuddled his daughter until Von Kaiser gestured for them to come eat. He had made them hot vegetable soup. The three sat down together to eat.

"Joseph," said Von Kaiser, "mir ist aufgefallen, dass du seit einiger Zeit sehr ängstlich bist." (Joseph, I've noticed that you've been very anxious for a while now.) He put a hand on his shoulder. "Soll ich Sie mit einem Therapeuten verbinden?" (Would you like me to find you a therapist?)

Joe was quiet for a moment. He had never really thought about therapy before, but maybe it could do him some good. He nodded.

"What's a therapist?" Katrina cocked her head.

"Es ist wie ein Geistesdoktor," said Von Kaiser. (It's like a mind doctor.)

Later that night, after Katrina had gone off to bed, Von Kaiser sat with Joe as he laid in bed and held his hand, hoping to ease his nerves before he went to sleep.

"Nicht weit von hier ist eine Klinik," he said softly. "Ich werde morgen früh jemanden für dich einplanen." (We're not too far from a clinic. I'll schedule someone for you first thing tomorrow morning.)

Joe smiled warmly. "Je suis vraiment reconnaissant pour toutes les choses que tu fais pour moi. Tu es une vraie bénédiction." (I'm very grateful for everything you do for me. You're a true godsend.) His eyelids drooped, so Von Kaiser shut the lights off and went downstairs to lie down in the guest bed.

On Monday morning, after dropping Katrina off at school, Joe arrived at the mental health clinic that Von Kaiser had referred him to. After a moment in the waiting room, he went in to meet his new therapist.

"Hallo, Joseph. My naam is Abina." Abina shook his hand and gestured for him to sit down. "Daar is vir my gesê jy sukkel met angs." (I've been told you are struggling with anxiety.)

"Oui," said Joe shyly.

"Goed, kom ons begin." (Alright, let's get started.) Abina tapped her pencil on her clipboard. "Waaroor is jy geneig om baie bekommerd te wees?" (What do you tend to worry about a lot?)

"Ma fille," said Joe. "J'ai des soucis à propos de sa santé, son bonheur, ses affaires de l'école…" He trailed off and sighed. (My daughter. I worry about her health, her happiness, her school issues…)

Abina nodded. "Vertel my van jou dogter." (Tell me about your daughter.)

Joe opened up a bit more. "Elle a six ans maintenant. Elle a un couple d'amis, elle aime son école. Elle est vraiment excitée pour commencer la deuxième année en septembre." (She's six now. She has a couple of friends, she likes school. She's very excited to start Grade 2 in September.)

"Ek kan sê jy is baie lief vir haar," said Abina. (I can tell you love her very much.) She adjusted herself in her seat. "Dit is dus duidelijk dat dit goed is vir jou geestesgezondheid om tyd saam met jou dogter deur te bring." (So, evidently spending time with your daughter is good for your mental health.)

Joe nodded. That made perfect sense to him.

"Ek wil egter hê jy moet let op hoeveel jy op haar staatmaak," continued Abina. "Jou dogter is nie jou terapeut nie, ek is." (However, I want you to pay attention to how much you rely on her. Your daughter is not your therapist, I am.)

That made sense too. "D'accord," said Joe.

Abina smiled. "Ek is bly jy is so samenwerkend." (I'm glad you're so cooperative.)

Part 2: Outburst

It was a warm June afternoon. The most recent match had just finished; Dingo Bone against Great Tiger. Great Tiger had won, and Dingo Bone was very sore about it.

"Tu fais un travail fantastique," said Joe to Great Tiger. (You did a great job.)

Dingo Bone scoffed. "He wouldn't be half the boxer he is if it weren't for 'is bloody magic."

Joe deflated a little. Great Tiger simply looked unmoved. "अरे, तुम्हारी तरह बेवकूफ बनने से तो अच्छा है." (Hey, it's better than being an ass like you.)

"What?!" Dingo Bone started to go red in the face.

"Dingo," said Joe softly, "tu as vraiment besoin d'apprendre comment accepter la défaite." (Dingo, you really need to learn how to accept defeat.)

"Yeah, you would know all about that, wouldn'tcha, Joey?!" Dingo Bone sharply prodded Joe's shoulder. "Y'old, useless, weak yutz! Yer gonna tell me what's what around here when you haven't even won a single match, let alone gotten the champion's belt?! I could kick yer arse any day! I could probably kill ya if I fought hard enough!"

Ordinarily, Joe would take whatever Dingo Bone spat at him without fighting back. But after hearing that, he couldn't explain how, but something inside him just.

Completely.

Snapped.

"Dingo, j'ai suffit," he pushed back. "J'étais ici loin devant toi, et je vais être ici pour longtemps. Pendant tout ce temps, tu es rien d'autre que mechant, tyrannique, et égoïste. C'est pourquoi personne ne t'aime. Je ne t'aime pas, et je me considère comme une personne très tolérante. Un jour, tu vas être complètement seule, et curieux pourquoi tu n'as rien d'amis. Moi, je serai heureux si je n'ai jamais besoin de te voir pour le reste de ma vie!" (Dingo, I've had it. I've been here long before you, and I'll continue to be here for a long time. All this time, you've been nothing but mean, nasty, and selfish. That's why no one likes you. I don't like you, and I consider myself a very tolerant person. One day, you're gonna be all alone, and wondering why you don't have any friends. Me, I'll be happy if I never have to see you again for the rest of my life!)

Joe didn't intend to shout that last part, but at that point, his blood was boiling with rage, and he had to take it out on someone. He turned heel and stormed towards the exit.

"Daddy?" Katrina cautiously whispered, peeking through the children's room doorway.

"Va a l'auto." (Go to the car.) Joe said coldly.

Katrina was taken aback. She had never seen her father angry before, let alone this angry. She quickly trailed behind him to the car. When it became clear to her that her father's judgement was completely clouded by his anger and he wasn't paying attention to her, she scrambled to pull her seatbelt over herself before he started the car.

When they got home, Katrina scurried upstairs to her room to hide. Joe stalked to the kitchen to start dinner. Shake 'n' Bake pork chops. Boneless Shake 'n' Bake pork chops. He rather violently shook the pork chops, and once the pan was in the oven, he slammed the door shut.

And then he took a deep breath. That always helped him cool down. He had said his piece, and now he was back in his cosy home, with a warm meal cooking in the oven. After a few moments, he felt better. Now, there was just the matter of talking to Katrina. So up the stairs he went to her bedroom door.

There was no answer when he knocked on her door. "Katrina?" When she still didn't answer, Joe entered her room, and was surprised to find it empty. At first, anyway; he wasn't that dumb. "Je suppose que Katrina a disparu. Je vais appeler son école pour lui dire qu'elle ne retourne pas…" (I guess Katrina's disappeared. I'll call her school and tell them she's not coming back…)

"No!" Katrina scrambled out from under her bed and into her father's arms. "I'm here!"

Now that he had her attention, Joe sat Katrina down to talk to her. "J'étais tellement fâché cette après-midi," he began, "et je crier. Mais aucune de ces situations n'était ta faute. C'était ma faute pour perdre mon tempérament, et…" (I was very angry this afternoon, and I shouted. But none of it was your fault. It was my fault for losing my temper, and…)

He realised that he never buckled Katrina's seatbelt. "...et ne place pas ta ceinture de sécurité, s'il te plaît me dire tu se fixer." (...and not fastening your seatbelt, please tell me you got it.)

"I did," said Katrina.

"Bien," said Joe, relaxing. He held his daughter close. "Je vais demander un appoint avec Dr. Abina pour cette fin de semaine." (I'll schedule an appointment with Dr. Abina for this weekend.) He then brought Katrina downstairs to put on the rice.

The next day, when Joe went into work, he was expecting the other boxers to be fearful of him. But instead, they were warm and understanding. "Joseph," said Pierce, "based on yesterday's…outburst, and other complaints, we've decided to have Dingo Bone transferred to a different league."

Joe pursed his lips. He felt a little bad that he had flipped Dingo Bone's career upside down, but hey, at least he didn't have to deal with him anymore. "D'accord," he mumbled.

"Hey, don't feel bad about it," said Pierce, "we all hated that guy."

They did? That certainly was reassuring. Looking around, the arena felt just a bit brighter now. Joe appreciated that.

Chapter Text

It was a brisk January afternoon. All of the kids in school were outside for a recess. Katrina huddled into her coat as she rolled a snowball on the ground, trying to make a snowman. She found it rather hard to push, because the ball kept getting heavier.

"Hey, do you want some help with that?"

Katrina looked up and saw a tall Grade 5 boy standing behind her. She thought she'd seen his face in the yearbook before; Maxwell Vancelli, they called him. "Uh huh."

"Here, I'll roll this," said Maxwell, "you run and go find rocks and sticks and stuff."

Katrina ran and scoured the playground for rocks and sticks. She picked up a handful of little branches from around the big oak tree. Rocks were scarce because of all the snow, so instead she picked out a few stray leaves that were sticking out from the snow.

When she came back, she saw that Maxwell had accumulated a few other Grade 5 kids rolling the snowman together. "Come on, get the face stuff moving!" A tall, curly haired girl called to her; Katrina remembered reading her name as Ellen Hollister in the yearbook. She stuck the little twigs in the small snowball on top for hair and wedged the bigger sticks and leaves into the front for the face. By the end, they had all built a dinky little snowman together.

Soon, the bell rang to go back inside. "Come on, Mac," said a Grade 5 boy to Maxwell, "we have a test soon." Everyone ran back inside.

Later that afternoon, when school was over and dinner was on the table, Katrina was relaying the whole story to her daddy. "And then when we went back outside at lunch, we got Mr. Jeong to take a picture."

"Vraiment? Eh bien, j'espere que tu avais un bien temps." (Really? Well, I hope you had a good time.)

When they got home and out of their coats, Katrina brought her daddy to the computer to show him the picture Mr. Jeong took. Daddy opened up the computer, and Katrina pulled herself up into his lap. "See, that's the one," she said when the picture came up.

Daddy ruffled her hair. "Bon travail, ma belle." (Good job, sweetie.) The two returned to the table. "Tu sais, quand tu etais a l'ecole, j'ai fabrique un flan du chocolat." (You know, when you were at school, I made chocolate pudding.)

"Pudding?!" Katrina bounced in her seat.

"Oui," chuckled Daddy. "Mais tu besoin de manger tes carrotes et tes brocolis en premier." (Yes, but you need to eat your carrots and broccoli first.)

Katrina wolfed down her vegetables; she couldn't wait for some chocolate pudding with whipped cream on top.

The next day, a Wednesday, when Katrina arrived at school, she entered the playground to find the Grade 5 boys hanging around the snowman. His twiggy face had fallen to the ground into crackly pieces, and his head was now rather lopsided. Maxwell Vancelli looked down at Katrina. “The snowman is kinda crappy now,” he said.

“Yeah,” mumbled Katrina, looking at their ruined masterpiece. “Wanna kick him over?”

“Of course.” The kids all worked together to tackle the snowman, crushing him back into mounds of white fluff on the ground. It was just as much fun as building him up.

Chapter Text

"Daddy, why don't I have a mother?"

Joe knew this day was coming, but the question still stabbed him through the heart with a javelin. He sighed, and brought Katrina to sit down on the couch. "Tu avais une mère quand tu étais un bebe, mais…pas encore." (You had a mother when you were a baby, but…not anymore.)

"Why not?"

Joe pulled his daughter close. "Elle se rend malade, et un jour, elle ne peut pas surmonter non plus. Alors les docteurs se prennent, et tu viens de vivre avec moi." (She got sick, and one day, she couldn't cope anymore. So the doctors took her away, and you came to live with me.)

Katrina cocked her head. "Where did she go?"

Joe sighed. "Je ne sais pas, mais elle ne peut pas revenir." (I don't know, but she can't come back.)

Katrina looked sad, and pulled herself in his lap, where she laid her head on his shoulder. Joe felt guilty. He hoped he would never have to tell her this story, but alas, children are curious, Katrina most of all.

Katrina then looked up. "How come you didn't live with her?"

Oh boy, Joe especially didn't want to have to explain that to her. "Eh bien…tu étais une vraie surprise pour nous-autres. Je ne savais pas que tu étais ici jusqu'à ce que ta mère soit prise." (Well…you were a real surprise for us. I didn't know that you were here until after your mother was taken.)

He sat up a little straighter. "Et j'étais peure en première, mais quand je te reconnais pour la première fois, tu me prends mon coeur." (And I was scared at first, but when I met you the first time, you stole my heart.)

"Do you have any baby pictures of me?" Katrina asked.

Joe took a small box out of the bookshelf, which had a bunch of pictures inside. He picked up a few pictures of Katrina as a baby.

"Why are you crying in this one?" Joe looked up, and found that Katrina was looking at a picture of him the first time he did skin-to-skin with her.

"J'étais tellement heureux," said Joe. "Le première fois que notre peau se toucher, j'étais si hormonal que je pleure comme un bebe." (I was extremely happy. The first time our skin touched, I was so hormonal that I cried like a baby.)

"Even though I was the baby there, and not you?"

Joe chuckled. "Oui."

After looking at a few more pictures, Katrina looked up at her father. "I wish I still had a mother."

Joe put a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Eh bien, même si ta mère n'est pas ici, tu peux aussi célébrer le jour des mères." (Well, even if your mother isn't here, you can still celebrate Mother's Day.)

Katrina was curious. "How?"

"Tu peux célébrer avec Grandmere," said Joe. "Elle est ma mère." (You can celebrate with Grandma. She's my mother.)

That evening, as usual, Joe called up Amélie. "Bonjour, maman."

"Salut, mon gars," said Amélie, "comment ça va?" (Hi, kiddo, how are you?)

"Ça va bien," said Joe. "Katie va finir la deuxième année en presque un mois." (I'm good. Katie's going to finish Grade 1 in about a month.) Seeing her watching him, he asked "Veux-tu se parler?" (Would you like to talk to her?)

Katrina took the phone. "Hi, Grandma."

"Salut, Katie," said Amélie. "Es-tu excité de finir la deuxième année?" (Hi, Katie. Are you excited to finish Grade 2?)

"Yeah," said Katrina. She then straightened her back. "We called to wish you a happy Mother's Day."

"Oh, tu es tellement gentil," said Amélie. (Oh, you're so sweet.) Katrina felt like she could hear her smile through the phone. "Puis-je parler à ton père maintenant?" (Can I speak to your father now?)

Katrina gave the phone to her father and wandered off. Okay, so her mother was gone and couldn't come back. That was sad. But she still had Grandma around to talk to. That was happy.

Happy. Sad. Happy. Sad.

Boy, Mother's Day is confusing, she thought. I'm gonna go watch Pokémon.

Chapter Text

It was the last day of Grade 2. After this day, Katrina would now be in the "big kids" part of elementary school. School was getting out at lunch, and her class was spending the day playing games rather than doing any boring worksheets.

"Do you have any 3s?" Claire asked. Janet Bernard and Harmony Emerson both handed her a card, and Gale Eisen handed over two. Claire grinned; she was the best Go Fish player in the class.

In the corner, Katrina was playing with a boy named Jackson Rivers. They didn't normally hang out, and they didn't enjoy the same things, but they both liked checkers, and that was the only thing that mattered to them at the moment.

"Okay, kids," said Mr. Jeong, "the bell is gonna ring soon. Be sure you have all your things before you leave; anything left behind is getting donated to charity."

The kids all got their things in gear, and after a few minutes, the bell rang. As Katrina was walking to the door with her pink JanSport and Princess Aurora lunchbox, she passed by two teachers.

"You gonna watch the match tonight? Joseph Beaufort vs. Piston Hondo."

That caught Katrina's attention. They were talking about her dad!

"Come on, it's so predictable. Honda's gonna win. Beaufort's barely got enough meat on his bones to fight off the neighbour's dog. They oughta call that guy Glass Joe."

"It's Hondo, Rich."

"Hondo, Honda, same thing."

Katrina cocked her head. Hondo and Honda were not the same things to her. She shook her head as she pushed the front door to the school open.

Once she was outside, Katrina noticed that her dad wasn't waiting for her. That was weird; he always walked her to and from school. Oh well; she'd walked that route so many times, she could get home by herself. Which she did; she just had to follow the sidewalk, turn right, and pass the big pine trees. On her way back, she watched some wispy clouds puff in the sky, like cotton candy dissolving in her mouth.

When she got inside, she found her father trying to store a package that came in the mail that morning. He was struggling, because the box was really heavy! She couldn't help him lift it, but she could give him his water bottle. "Here, Daddy."

"Merci," gasped Joe, taking a moment to catch his breath and get a drink. Then he realized. "Attends un second, comment es-tu arrivé ici?" (Wait a second, how did you get here?)

"I walked home," said Katrina. "It's not that far."

Then Joe remembered; school got out early that day. "Oh, oui. Comment était ton dernier jour de la deuxième année?" (Oh, yes. How was your last day of Grade 2?)

"Good," said Katrina. "Some of the teachers were talking about you."

"Vraiment?" Joe was curious. "Qu'est-ce qu'ils disent?" (Really? What did they say?)

"Mr. Thompson says you should be called Glass Joe." Katrina put her bag on her chair to take her things out of it for the summer.

Glass Joe. He rolled the name around in his head for a moment. It felt icy; mysterious. He rather liked it.

Later in the evening, Joe and Katrina went to the arena for the match. Once he was out of the locker room, he went to Pierce for a name update. "Pierce, j'ai finalement trouvé un nom de scène." (Pierce, I've finally found a stage name.)

"Oh, good for you," said Pierce, absent-minded. "What is it?"

"Je suis Glass Joe," he said rather proudly. (I am Glass Joe.)

Pierce looked up. "Glass Joe?" Why would anyone name himself that, he thought to himself. Joe nodded enthusiastically. Pierce cocked an eyebrow, but shrugged. "Alright, then. Glass Joe it is." He wrote it down on a note to remind himself to update his files later.

Soon enough, it was time for the match to begin. "In this corner," said Pierce, giving his usual introductions, "we have the WVBA's trooper, our unrelenting jobber…" He clenched his teeth for a moment. "...Glass Joe." He felt a little embarrassed just saying it; and it wasn't even his name! What on Earth possessed Joe to call himself that?!

He shook his head. Gotta focus. "And in this corner, we have an ichiban ready to deliver a TKO from Tokyo, Piston Hondo!" Now that was a cool stage name.

And as for the fight? Well, I don't need to tell you how it ended, now, do I?

Chapter Text

It was a scorcher of an August evening. Joe and Katrina were tiredly eating their lazy dinner of turkey sandwiches and water with lots of ice when there came a knock at the door. When Joe went to answer, there was a woman at the door with slick blonde hair, a leather purse over her shoulder, and a wicked twinkle in her eyes. "Eh, bonjour," he said awkwardly. "Peux-je t'aider?" (Uh, hello. Can I help you?)

"Yeah," said the woman. "Are you Joseph Beaufort?"

"Oui," said Joe, a little flustered over being recognized.

"Good," said the woman, nudging past him. "Laura Sanders. I believe you knew my sister?"

Sanders? Why, that was Heather's surname. "Uh…oui."

"Perfect," said Laura. "I came to see my niece."

"Ta niece?" This must be Heather's sister or someone. Before Joe could react, Laura made her way to the kitchen, where Katrina was stirring the ice in her cup.

"There she is," said Laura, putting on an air of over-sweetness to mask her disappointment that Katrina looked like Joe and not Heather, "my little niece!"

Katrina looked at her, confused. "Who are you?"

Laura laughed awkwardly. "I'm your auntie."

Katrina looked at Joe as he entered the room. "I thought Tatie Gina was my only auntie."

"Eh bien, je suppose que tu as deux taties," said Joe sheepishly. (Well, I guess you have two aunties.) He sat Laura down for a few questions. "Comment tu nous-avons trouver?" (How did you find us?)

"Oh, I did some poking around online," said Laura. "I knew there had to be some sap out there that fathered my sister's kid. Found you, booked a weekend in a hotel room, and now here I am."

Katrina paid Laura's words no mind, as she got up from her chair and tugged Joe's hand. "Come on, daddy, our show starts soon."

As Katrina's bedtime approached, Joe couldn't help but grow disdain towards Laura. She wasn't very polite to him; in fact, she seemed to be encouraging Katrina to keep his distance from him. But eventually it was time to put his daughter down for the night. He brought her upstairs to her bed and tucked her into the sheets; it was far too hot for blankets.

Now that Katrina wouldn't hear, he went downstairs to confront Laura. "Laura, je sais que tu es excité de rencontrer ta nièce, mais franchement, je trouve ton behaviour très impoli." (Laura, I know you're excited to meet your niece, but frankly, I find your behaviour extremely rude.)

"Rude?" Laura rolled her eyes. "What's rude is not telling someone for years that her sister had a baby."

Joe was taken aback. "Pardon, mais je ne te vu pas a sa funeral." (I beg your pardon, but I didn't see you at her funeral.)

Laura sighed. "Heather was always the black sheep of the family. After so many years without talking to her, it just didn't seem right to show up at her wake."

"Alors pourquoi es-tu intéressé maintenant?" Joe wanted answers. (So why are you interested now?)

"Karina needs to be with her family," said Laura sharply. "I'm filing for custody."

Joe was appalled at the cheek of this woman! "Son nom est Katrina, et tu ne peux pas la prendre!" (Her name is Katrina, and you can't take her!)

"She's my family," said Laura, standing up to tower over Joe. "You don't have the right to keep her away from her family."

Now Joe was getting agitated. "Elle est ton sang, mais elle est ma famille," he said firmly. "Je la nourris, je la prends à l'école, je la prends soin chaque jour de ma vie. Tu la sais seulement pour quelques heures." (She's your blood, but she's my family. I feed her, I take her to school, I take care of her every day. You've only known her for a few hours.)

"You kept her away from us for her whole life!" Laura shouted. "You can't shelter her from half her lineage forever!"

"Ne crie pas à moi dans ma propre maison." (Do not yell at me in my own house.) Joe put a hand on Laura's shoulder and looked her square in the eyes. "Je ne sais pas qui tu pense que tu es, mais tu ne peux pas me parler comme ça, tu ne peux pas rester ici, et tu n'es pas prendre ma fille. S'il vous plait, partir, maintenant." (I don't know who you think you are, but you cannot speak to me like that, you can't stay here, and you are not taking my daughter. Please leave now.)

Laura scowled, but picked up her purse and went to the door. "We will be coming back to this."

"La réponse est non." (The answer is no.) Joe ushered Laura out of the house. He breathed a sigh of relief, then turned around and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Katrina watching from the staircase. He guessed that she'd heard everything. "Je suis tellement désolé pour ça, ma belle. Viens, c'est temps pour coucher." (I'm so sorry for that, sweetie. Come on, it's bedtime.)

"I guess Aunt Laura's not taking me to the mall for back-to-school clothes shopping tomorrow," said Katrina, dejected.

Had Laura promised that? If so, Joe hadn't heard about it. He silently cursed her for arranging things behind his back without asking permission. "Nous pouvons aller demain après le dîner," said Joe. "Nous deux." (We can go after dinner tomorrow. Us two.)

Katrina smiled. "Thank you, daddy." She crawled back into bed, and Joe gave her the goodnight kiss he'd neglected to provide the first time around.

"Tu sais, ma vie se rend vraiment plus facile quand tu apprends à attacher ta propre ceinture." (You know, my life got a whole lot easier when you learned to buckle your own seatbelt.)

It was the next evening; a Sunday, to be exact. Joe and Katrina had just arrived at the mall as promised, and to Joe's dismay, there was Laura, waiting for them at the entrance. "Evening, Joseph."

"Laura," said Joe stoically. The three entered the mall, and first went to a small children's boutique.

"I like this one," said Katrina, showing Joe some polyester overalls with silver buckles. "They're pink".

"Ils sont beaux, Katie," said Joe, ruffling her hair. (They're lovely, Katie.)

After a bit more mulling and browsing, the three ended up in a larger place, one that catered to all ages and genders. "Joseph, I think this fits you very well," said Laura, presenting him with a yellow shirt with a Minion on it, deliberately selected in two sizes too small.

"Eh…" Joe grimaced a bit. "Je ne sais pas." (I don't know.)

"Oh, come on. Once you've got it on, you'll love it." She waited until Joe had gone off to the change room, she took Katrina by the arm and pulled her out of the store. "Come on, we're leaving."

"Wait, what?" Katrina asked, confused. 

"You heard me," hissed Laura, "now let's go."

"But what about Dad?" Katrina was puzzled and a bit alarmed.

"Come on," insisted Laura, "you're going to come live with your real family."

"You can't take me!" Katrina cried. "Besides, Dad has the car keys."

"Forget him; we're taking a cab. You need to be with your family."

She didn't need Aunt Laura! She needed her dad! So Katrina did something she knew would get her help.

"Stranger!"

Katrina broke her wrist free from Laura's grip and shouted every single stranger danger thing she could think of. "Stranger danger! Stranger danger! Kidnapper! Kidnapper! This is not my mom!"

Soon enough, she had a crowd of people staring at them. A tall blond man went up to them. "What's going on, sweetheart?"

"She's got it all wrong," stammered Laura. "I'm her aunt."

"She's trying to take me away from my dad!" Katrina wasn't going to let Aunt Laura tell the story. She was pushing her away from Dad, and nobody came between her and Dad.

The man lowered himself to Katrina's level. "What does your dad look like?"

"He's really tall, he has red hair, he was wearing a blue shirt and jeans, and his name is-"

"Katrina!"

Both darted their heads around when they heard the shout. Katrina instantly recognized her father's voice, and connected it to him standing over closer to the entrance of the store they were just in.

"Daddy!"

Joe looked up and saw his daughter in a small crowd. With a wave of relief crashing over him, he rushed over and pulled her into a tight hug.

"See?" Laura attempted to assure the blond man. "Her dad just got separated from us. She's fine."

But when she tried to reach for Katrina, Joe nudged his daughter back, shielding her with his body, and slapped Laura's hand away. "No! You stay back!" Joe shouted. "And don't ever come near me or my daughter ever again!"

The blond man and other crowd members surrounded Laura, asking dozens of questions, giving Joe and Katrina time to get out of there. Joe ushered Katrina into the car and they both took off. Joe didn't care that he had just left Laura stranded without a ride; he and his daughter weren't safe around her.

Von Kaiser was in his kitchen preparing a mug of cocoa when he heard a frantic knock at the door. When he answered, he found the Beauforts standing there, looking frazzled and panicked.

"Was ist los?" Von Kaiser cocked his head. (What's wrong?)

"Nous avons besoin de quelque place à cacher pour la nuit," said Joe, his voice wavering. "S'il vous plait, peux-tu nous aider?" (We need somewhere to hide for the night. Please, can you help us?)

"Komm natürlich rein." (Of course, come in.) He herded them inside and shut the curtains. "Was ist passiert?" (What happened?)

"Cette femme, soi-disant la soeur de la mere de Katrina," said Joe, trying to regain his composure. "Je ne sais pas quel est son problème, mais elle est dangereuse pour moi et ma fille." (This woman, supposedly Katrina's mother's sister. I don't know what her problem is, but she's dangerous to me and my daughter.)

"Was hat Sie getan?" (What did she do?) Now Von Kaiser was curious.

"She separated us in a mall and then tried to take me and run," said Katrina bluntly.

"Hattest du keine Angst?" (Weren't you scared?) Von Kaiser was surprised at Katrina's nonchalance about almost being kidnapped.

"A little," said Katrina, "but then I remembered stranger danger, so I yelled until someone came to help me."

"Kluges Mädchen," said Von Kaiser, tousling Katrina's hair. (Smart girl.) He turned to Joe. "Also geht es euch beiden gut?" (So you're both okay?)

"Oui," said Joe, feeling more grounded now, "et première chose demain matin, je vais déposer une demande pour une injonction d'éloignement du domicile conjugal. Cette femme ne peut pas etre un tante a Katrina." (Yes, and first thing tomorrow morning, I'm going to file a restraining order. That woman cannot be an aunt to Katrina.)

"Gut," said Von Kaiser. Seeing as it was getting late, he figured it was best to put the Beauforts to bed.

…Except, his bed was the only bed in the house.

Well, so what? He could deal with it for just one night. Besides, Joe was his best friend, and he and his daughter had just been through something stressful. "Komm, Joseph. Du brauchst etwas Schlaf." (Come, Joseph. You need some sleep.)

"Dans ton lit?" (In your bed?) Joe's eyes seemed to twinkle at the idea. But he caught himself, and blushed a gentle pink. "D'accord."

Soon, the three were settled into bed. Joe held Katrina in his arms (as best as he could; she was starting to get a little too big to do that), while leaning on Von Kaiser's shoulder.

"Du hast ein hartes Kind großgezogen," said Von Kaiser. (You raised a tough kid.)

"Yeah, I'm tough," said Katrina. "I wasn't gonna let that meanie take me away."

Joe said nothing. How could he be expected to say anything when he was snuggling in bed with the love of his life for the very first time?!

He stammered for a bit, but seeing the pleading look in Katrina's eyes, he knew that this was it. The moment of truth.

"Viktor, je…" He put a hand over his chest in an attempt to calm his pounding heart. "Je t'aime beaucoup." (Viktor, I…I like you a lot.)

"Und ich dich," said Von Kaiser. "Du bist der beste Freund, den ich je hatte." (And I you. You're the best friend I've ever had.)

"Non, je…" Here it comes. "Je t'aime tellement plus que ça. Il n'y a personne au monde que je veux passer ma vie et la vie de Katrina avec. Viktor, je…je t'adore." (No, I…I like you way more than that. There's no one in the world I'd rather spend mine and Katrina's lives with. Viktor, I…I love you.)

Whoa. Now that was a game changer. Von Kaiser didn't quite know what to say to that. So he turned to Katrina. "Wussten Sie davon?" (Did you know about this?)

Katrina yawned. "Since I was five," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

Katrina was eight now; Joe had been holding that back for three years. That was…impressive, really.

Did Von Kaiser really love him back?

…Yes! He and Joe had been so close for so long; of course this was the next logical step!

He gave Joe a warm smile, pulled him in close, and kissed his forehead. "Ich liebe dich auch." (I love you too.)

A warm rush of relief rushed over the redheaded Frenchman. After such a long time of biting his tongue and zipping his lip, it was out. And it felt good.

Finally relaxed, Von Kaiser clapped the lights out so the new family bundle could get some much-needed sleep.

Chapter Text

There comes a time in every parent's life, when they learn that time is cruel and unforgiving...

It was a bright morning in early September; the first day of Grade 3.

"Alors, tu es prête?" Joe asked once Katrina finished her toast. (So, are you ready?)

"Yep," said Katrina, as she put her plate in the sink and picked up the lunch she packed last night, all by herself.

"Eh bien, allons-y, l'école va commencer dans quelques minutes." (Well, come on, school will start in a few minutes.) But when Joe stood up, Katrina stopped him.

"Dad, I think I can walk to school by myself now."

"...Oh." Joe wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. Katrina hugged him, went to put her shoes on, and exited the house to go to school; by herself.

Joe quietly put his dishes in the sink, and went to sit on the couch to think.

"Dad, I think I can walk to school by myself now."

Well, of course. She was in Grade 3 now; surely she would have to start walking to school by herself eventually. But still his mind was stuck on that first word. Dad. He couldn't remember the last time he heard "daddy" pass her lips. Why, it had to have been at least a few weeks ago.

The realization hit like a hook.

His little girl was growing up.

Mais je ne suis pas prêt! (But I'm not ready!)

Not ready for any of it; not ready for her to drift away, not ready for her to be surly all the time, and not ready to stop hearing her voice every day.

…But then, she only had two more years before she hit double digits. And then come the teenage years. And then, before he knew it, she would be off to college.

He shook his head. Those things were still a while away. And even when they happened, it wouldn't stop her from being his daughter. He was just going to have to learn to live with it.

Doucement...doucement… (Gently...gently...)

Joe slowly carried an ice cube tray to the freezer. He placed it inside and closed the door.

Then he heard another door close; the front door. Katrina was home from school. However, before he could greet her and ask about her day, she stomped up the stairs and hid in her room.

Mon Dieu. (Oh god.) Joe needed a minute to sit down. His daughter didn't even want to see him after school.

Qu'est ce que j'ai fait?! (What did I do?!) He felt sick; like the whole room was spinning. Katrina was drifting away from him already; and she's only eight!

Ressaisis-toi. (Get a grip.) Katrina would never stop loving him. She couldn't.

...Could she?

The sun was beginning to set as Joe was putting dinner in the oven. Surely a hot meal would put his nerves at ease.

Profonde inspiration. (Deep breath.) Everything was going to be fine. ...Maybe.

He jumped a bit when Katrina wrapped her arms around his waist. "Sorry."

Joe turned and knelt down. "Oh, chérie, c'est correct. Je ne suis pas fâchée avec toi." (Oh, darling, it's okay. I'm not angry with you.) He held his little girl. "Est-ce que quelque chose se passe à l'école aujourd'hui?" (Did something happen at school today?)

"Tyler punched me on the playground," said Katrina, showing him the bruise.

"Oh." Katrina wasn't upset with him; rather, she was upset with someone at school. "As-tu parlé avec l'enseignant?" (Did you tell the teacher?)

"They won't listen," said Katrina. "They say we have to be nice to him because he's new here."

"Katie, même s'il est nouveau, il n'a pas le droit d'intimider-tu." Joe gave her a kind but firm look. "S'il fait ça un autre fois, raconter à un enseignant, et s'ils te punissent toi et pas il, je m'en occupe." (Katie, even if he's new, he doesn't have the right to bully you. If he does it again, tell a teacher, and if they punish you and not him, I'll handle it.)

Katrina smiled and hugged her father, and then was distracted by the oven. "What's cookin'?"

Joe chuckled. "La poule avec Shake 'n' Bake." (Shake 'n' Bake chicken.) Now there were three things Katrina was never going to lose; her love for him, her short attention span, and her excellent comedic timing.

...But even though they can't stop their kids from growing up, they can be right there loving them while they're there.

Chapter Text

It was a crisp September morning. Marie was getting her things together to go to school (middle school!) when she heard her parents talking downstairs. Dad and Stepmum seemed to do that a lot recently; whisper, and not tell her what they were whispering about. She shook her head and went downstairs to collect her lunch. "Bye, Dad. Bye, Stepmum," she said as she walked out the door.

When she got to school, she opened up her phone and found a text message from Dad.

Blaine sent: We're having family over for dinner so please wash up when you get home (8:02 am)

Family over for dinner. Why, that sounded quite nice. She hoped Nanny would be there.

That evening, as promised, Nanny, Auntie Sarah, Step-Granny, Uncle Joe, and cousin Katrina arrived around dinnertime. Dad ushered them all inside. "Marian, tellement bien a te voir," said Step-Granny to Nanny. (Marian, how nice to see you.)

Everyone sat around the table. Dad set the chicken wings down in the middle of the table, while Stepmum set down the salad and mashed potatoes. Once everyone had made their plates, Stepmum got everyone's attention. "Tout le monde, nous avons des grandes nouvelles." (Everyone, we have big news.)

Everyone looked up at them. "I should have known you would say that," said Auntie Sarah. "Spontaneous dinner parties always come with big announcements."

Dad looked at Stepmum and put a hand over his heart. A huge smile spread across his face as he looked back at the table. "We're having a baby!"

The adults exploded with praise and cooing. Step-Granny and Uncle Joe hugged Stepmum, and Nanny and Auntie Sarah hugged Dad.

Marie simply didn't know what to think. A baby sibling! She loved babies…but they were quite loud and messy…but she'd have someone to play with and read stories to…

…But what if Stepmum loved them more than her?

As the grown-ups shuffled back into their seats, all they could talk about was baby things; what were they going to name them? What things did they need? Marie blocked out the chatter and ate her wings and potatoes.

That night, before Marie went to sleep, Dad came in to talk to her. "You were pretty quiet at dinner. How do you feel about the baby?"

Marie sat up. "I'd like to have a baby sibling," she said, "but what if Stepmum likes them more than me?"

"Why would she do that?" Dad asked.

"Because," said Marie, "I'm only her stepdaughter. This will be her for-real baby."

Dad shook his head. "You're both her for-real babies. Whether or not she gave birth to you doesn't determine how much your stepmother loves you." He put a hand on Marie's shoulder. "And when a Beaufort is faced with parenthood, they take it, circumstances be darned. Your mother knew she wanted to be your stepmother the moment she met you. She knew she wanted another when the time was just right. Heck, Uncle Joe knew he wanted Katrina in his life the second he met her."

He shifted a bit. "And sure, the baby might be the center of attention at first, but that's just because newborn babies are fragile and need lots of special care. And if you want to help us with that, that's great, but we won't make it a regular responsibility for you."

Marie brushed a lock of hair from her face. "Can I still read them stories?"

"You can read to them every night if you want to." Dad and Marie both smiled and hugged. Dad turned out the lights and left, while Marie snuggled into bed and fell asleep.

Chapter Text

It was a cold November night with a pitch-black sky. Joe was coming out of the locker room after yet another loss; number 62, to be exact. He was limping a bit; he had landed weirdly when falling down and his knee was still rather sore.

Well, at least he had Katrina to go back to. He found her waiting for him in the lounge room. He sat down for a bit to take some of the pressure off his knee.

"Dad, I've been wondering something recently," said Katrina.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" (What is it?) Joe was curious.

"When did you decide you wanted to be a boxer?"

Quand j'ai décidé de devenir un boxeur. (When I decided to become a boxer.) Why, he had never realized that that day had happened nearly twenty years ago by now. "Eh bien, j'étais en école secondaire…" (Well, I was in high school...)

Many years ago, it was St. Patrick's Day, and fifteen year old Joseph Beaufort was sitting in his math class, working in his green polo shirt. He had already finished the assignment, and was now working on his homework.

"Même si je n'étais pas le meilleur, j'aimais les maths." (Even though I wasn't the best at it, I liked math.)

The bell rang, and Joe put his books in his bag; the weekend was here.

"Hé, Lulu!"

"Mes, eh, amis m'appelaient Lulu, parce que mon deuxième prénom est Luc." (My, uh, friends called me Lulu, because my middle name is Luc.)

Along came Armand, Colette, and Marcel. Armand pulled Joe up by the scruff of his coat. "Ah, il porte du vert, on ne peut pas pincer." (Aw, he's wearing green, we can't pinch him.)

"Tu sais, en recul, mes amis n'étaient vraiment amis. J'arrête de parler avec eux après la graduation." (You know, in hindsight, my friends weren't really friends. I stopped talking to them after graduation.)

"Pourquoi veux-tu me pincer? Ca c'est fait mal," grumbled Joe. (Why would you want to pinch me? That hurts.)

"Oh, Lulu, tu es tellement doux," said Marcel, giving Joe a "playful" punch on the arm. (Oh, Lulu, you're so soft.)

"Le prochaine Saint-Patrick, tu besoin d'être plus fort," said Colette with a wink. (Next St. Patrick's Day, you need to be tougher.)

D'être plus fort. (To be tougher.) That was a great idea. If he was tougher, he could be just as cool as Armand, or Marcel, or Colette. Why, if he worked hard enough, he could make it really big! Maybe he could be a great boxer, just like Doc Louis! That was the best suggestion he had ever heard!

...But when he looked back up to thank Colette for the idea, the three had already left.

"J'ai commencé de traîner, et après l'école secondaire et l'université, je suis finalement arrivé à l'Association Mondiale de la Boxe Video." (I started training, and after high school and university, I finally made it to the World Video Boxing Association.)

There he was; twenty-three years old, fresh-faced Joseph Beaufort, first time fighter for the WVBA. He was going against some fellow they called Von Kaiser.

"Fight!"

As the fight began, Joe quickly realized that it wasn't the smartest idea to go for the bottom of the Major Circuit rather than the Minor Circuit; Von Kaiser was much stronger than he was. And yes, he understood he was participating in a combat sport, but he didn't want to hurt him. He wanted these people to like him!

"Sie sind ganz neu darin, nicht wahr?" (You're very new to this, aren't you?) Von Kaiser asked.

Joe couldn't quite work out how to respond, or how Von Kaiser was able to so effortlessly land punches. Why, he could hardly aim in comparison!

Eventually, Joe's reluctance to give it his all caught up with him, and he took his three knockdowns. TKO.

"C'était juste le premier dans une série," concluded Joe, "mais j'apprends ce jour que les autres boxeurs vont j'aime n'importe qu'ils ont gagné ou perdu." (It was just the first in a series, but I learned that day that the other boxers will like me whether they win or lose.)

Just then, Von Kaiser entered the room and sat next to Joe. "Guten Abend, Joseph. Was hast du vor?" (Good evening, Joseph. What are you up to?)

"Ah, je dis les histoires à Katie," said Joe. (Ah, I'm telling Katie stories.)

Von Kaiser chuckled. "Hast du ihr von unserem ersten Kampf erzählt und du hattest zu viel Angst, um mir wehzutun?" (Did you tell her about the first time we fought, and how you were too scared to hurt me?)

"Oui," grinned Joe, tilting his head up to kiss Von Kaiser's forehead. He stood up; his knee wasn't hurting anymore. "Viens, nous retournons chez moi et combattons le froid avec la soupe d'oignon chaude." (Come on, let's go home and fight the cold with some hot onion soup.) He took Von Kaiser by the hand, put his other arm around Katrina, and walked his family out of the arena.

Chapter Text

It was a late March day with brisk air and an overcast sky. A little after three o'clock, around when school ended, there was a knock at the door. When Joe went to answer, Marie was there. "Bon après-midi," he said. "Où sont tes parents?" (Good afternoon. Where are your parents?)

"The hospital," said Marie. "My baby brother's being born."

"Oh!" Joe jumped into Dad Mode. "Viens, dedans!" (Come on, inside!) He brought Marie inside.

"Dad last texted me when school ended," said Marie. "He said they were just starting the delivery. They could be done anywhere from in a few hours to tomorrow morning." She and Joe both sat down on the couch to finish the newest episode of Life with Johnny in California.

Several hours later, when the three were eating dinner, the phone rang. "Hey, Joey," said Blaine when Joe picked up. "Is Marie there?"

"Oui," said Joe, passing the phone to her.

"Well, Marie," said Blaine. "We did it. He's here."

If you were passing by the house that evening, it's likely you would have heard the loudest squeal on the street; possibly the neighbourhood. "When can we come see him?!"

"Easy, love," said Blaine. "Your stepmother's doing great. No more bleeding, she's got her medicine. And Connor's just peachy. Why don't you finish your dinner, and then you can come."

"How did you know I was eating dinner?" Marie asked.

"Dads just know these things." Marie swore her father winked when he said that.

After dinner was finished, Joe, Katrina, and Marie went down to the hospital to see the new baby. While they were on their way to their room, Joe was distracted by the nursery. He was mesmerized by the wiggly bundles wrapped in pink and blue.

"የትኛው ነው ያንተ?" (Which one's yours?)

Joe jumped a bit when he realized there was a curly haired nurse wearing a name tag reading "Marjani Mahari" standing next to him. He straightened his back. "Rien d'ils," he said awkwardly. "Je suis ici pour voir mon neveu, mais j'étais distraite." (None of them. I'm here to see my nephew, but I got distracted.) He cleared his throat. "Je suis ici pour voir Gina Beaufort-Stevenson." (I'm here to see Gina Beaufort-Stevenson.)

"እንደ እድል ሆኖ, እኔ ነርስዋ ነኝ." (Lucky for you, I'm her nurse.) Nurse Mahari brought Joe to the correct room.

"Oh, Joseph, tu dinde décalé," said Amélie when they got to the room, "où étais-tu?" (Oh, Joseph, you silly goose, where were you?)

"በመዋለ ሕጻናት ክፍል ውስጥ ነበር።." (He was at the nursery.) Nurse Mahari then left to give them all some family time.

"Yeah, that's pretty in character," said Blaine.

In the back, Marie was holding her new baby brother, while Katrina was sitting next to her. "Dad, you were supposed to stay with us," said Katrina when she saw her father.

"Oh, je sais," said Joe, sitting with his niece, nephew, and daughter. (Oh, I know.) Now that he was sitting, he could get a good look at baby Connor; he had brown skin, the middle ground between his parents, and his father's curly brown hair, with a streak of his mother's red.

Nurse Mahari came back with the birth certificate, which Gina and Blaine signed.

"This certificate is to welcome the birth of Connor Chase Beaufort-Stevenson, born on March 29th at 6:39 pm weighing 8 lbs 4 oz to Gina Beaufort-Stevenson and Blaine Beaufort-Stevenson."

Gina wiped the sweat from her brow. "Ca c'était tellement difficile." (That was so hard.)

"We got a perfect trio of cousins now, darling," said Blaine. "Marie, Katrina, and Connor makes three."

Gina shook her head and smiled. "Je t'adore, tu pitre," she said as she kissed Blaine's cheek. (I love you, you goof.)

Chapter Text

Part 1: Easter

It was a gently warm Good Friday. Joe, Katrina, and Von Kaiser had gone over to visit Gina and her family for the day to help out with dinner and the baby.

Joe sat on the couch and gently cradled Connor. Connor stared up at his face, fascinated by his big nose.

"Il est vraiment relax," said Gina, rubbing her eyes. "Il dort la majorité du temps." (He's very relaxed. He sleeps for most of the day.)

And just like Gina said, Connor yawned and put his hands over his face. Joe chuckled, and kissed Connor on his tiny little forehead.

Out at the dinner table, Marie and Katrina were painting plastic eggs for Easter decorations. Katrina had completely made her egg pink, and was dotting little red spots on it.

"See, I'm contrasting yellow with purple," said Marie, showing the stripes on the egg in her head. "They're on opposite ends of the colour spectrum."

Katrina cocked her head. "Colour spectrum?"

Marie showed her the papers from her art class. "It's a wheel with every single colour on it, and it goes in rainbow order. Yellow and purple are on opposite sides of the circle, just like blue and orange."

Katrina looked at it. "And red is on the opposite end as green. Like Christmas colours!"

"Exactly like Christmas colours," said Marie, going back to her egg.

Out in the kitchen, Von Kaiser and Blaine were chopping vegetables for goulash. "Also, wie ist das Leben mit einem Neugeborenen?" (So, how is life with a newborn around?)

"Our schedule is much stricter now," said Blaine. "We're up at specific times, eating at specific times…" He sighed. "I'll be glad when Connor gets older and more independant. I feel like I never get any time with Gina anymore."

Von Kaiser shrugged. "Nun, sie hat viel zu tun, da sie die Heimatpflegerin ist und sich immer noch von der Geburt erholt." (Well, she's got a lot on her plate, being the main caregiver and still recovering from the birth.)

"I know, I know," said Blaine. "It's just a little lonely, you know?"

Once dinner was set, and they only had to wait for everything to warm up in the oven, Von Kaiser and Blaine went into the living room. Connor was napping in Gina's arms, and Joe was still cooing over him. Gina looked up, and handed the little baby off to his father. "Hey, little man," said Blaine, "you like hanging out with your Uncle Joe?"

Connor didn't respond, most likely due to the fact that he was a sleeping two-week-old baby. Blaine took his place on the couch and let Connor lay his head on his chest.

Not long after, Marie and Katrina came in with their completed set of eggs. It was easy to tell who had painted which egg by the neatness of the paint. They spread the eggs around the room in a perfect Easter display.

"Vous avez fait un beau boulot," said Gina, looking at their daughter and niece's job. (You kids did a great job.)

Katrina sat in between her father and his boyfriend. "What are we going to have for dinner?"

"Gulasch," said Von Kaiser. (Goulash.)

Katrina cocked her head. "What's that?"

"C'est comme de la soupe de légumes, mais plus épaisse," explained Joe. (It's like vegetable soup, but thicker.)

"Oh, cool," said Katrina. "I'm excited to eat lots of chocolate on Sunday."

Joe chuckled. "Moi aussi." (Me too.)

Part 2: Big Gay Bear Wedding

Some believe that May is the most beautiful month of the year, with all the greenery back in bloom, the snow gone for sure, and the trees growing back their cascades of leaves that hang over the ground and create a nice, cool shade.

Whichever month is the most beautiful is most certainly a topic for debate, but Bear Hugger and his fiance Cy Camore certainly believed it was May, which is why they chose the 16th within that month for their wedding day.

Everyone gathered in a beautiful little clearing in the woods, with a patch of sky just visible through the trees, blazing sunbeams down onto them. Every boxer in the league was there; even Pierce came along to witness the ceremony. Was it a WVBA tradition to invite every league member and their significant others to your wedding? It wasn't written down anywhere, but the group was so tight-knit, it would seem odd not to.

A little squirrel hopped onto the tall stump that they were using as a pedestal, and began to chatter the greetings. In most weddings, squirrels aren't there, period, let alone marrying the couple, but the woods Bear Hugger and Cy lived in were not exactly ordinary to begin with. And because the word hasn't been used in this passage yet, here it is: beautiful.

"I'm glad you asked," said Cy to the squirrel. No one in the audience knew what the squirrel had asked him, but they suspected he was asking him to say his vows. Cy turned to Bear Hugger. "So here we are; our wedding day. The day where I tell ya that I vow to stand by your side through the thick of it, to care for our animal friends together as a team, and to care more now than I ever have before." He put on a joking smile. "I mean, I could tell you that any day, but now is definitely the most appropriate time."

The guests all chuckled. Cy looked at Bear Hugger, waiting for him to continue. Bear Hugger looked into his soon-to-be-husband's eyes. "Certainly took us a while to get here, eh Cy? Well, now that we are here, I have to say my vows. I promise to you that I will care for you and any family we have now and in the future no matter how rough things get, stand by you against the strongest of fires and storms, and be the beacon of soundness and security for everyone."

Wow. That was really (dare I say again) beautiful. The squirrel chipped at the two, asking for their "I do's', and when they had been given, signaled for them to share their first kiss as a married couple. The guests all clapped excitedly but politely, and Flying Feather and Great Tiger whistled for them.

After an hour-long break to freshen up and collect their children, the guests all arrived for the party. Two bears had come together to operate the DJ station, and were directing the first dance, a waltz. None of the guests had ever heard a waltz song with a banjo in the background before, but hey, it worked. Once it was complete, Bear Hugger and Cy turned to the other guests. "What are ya lookin' at, hosers, come join the party!"

At that request, Flying Feather pulled Lucy in for a tango, and Von Kaiser coaxed a shy Joe to follow. Great Tiger corralled Piston Hondo, Katrina, and little Emma together to dance with them. Soda Popinski elbowed Bald Bull, but Bald Bull just looked at him funny until Soda Pop figured maybe he should just go dance with Ivana instead.

When the night fell, the guests helped clear up the mess and went on their way so Bear Hugger and Cy could begin their honeymoon staycation. "Dad, are you gonna do this with Vikky?" Katrina asked on the way out, rubbing her eyes.

Joe picked Katrina up to carry her back to the car. "Un jour, ma belle. Un jour." (One day, darling. One day.)

Chapter Text

It was an orange-skied December afternoon with sparkling snow and faint wisps of clouds. Joe was sewing shut a tear in his scarf with red string when Katrina came home from school scowling. He looked up, concerned about his daughter's mood. "Qu'est-ce qui se passe, ma belle?" (What happened, darling?)

"Mr. Thompson is making me sing a song with Tyler Peterson in the Christmas concert," said Katrina, putting her bag down and flumping into a chair.

Tyler Peterson. Joe supposed this was the same Tyler who hit her on the playground. "Ça devrait vraiment t'ennuyer." (That must really bother you.)

"Yeah, cause Tyler Peterson hates me," griped Katrina. "He punches my arms and calls me Shard."

"Shard?" Joe was puzzled by the bizarre nickname. But then it hit him; shard, as in shards of broken glass, because she's Glass Joe's daughter. He sighed and shook his head. "Oh la la, chérie…As-tu parlé avec M. Thompson pour se changer?" (Oh, dear, sweetie…have you talked with Mr. Thompson to change it?)

"Mr. Thompson hates me too," said Katrina. "I told him like five times about how Tyler bullies me, but he always tells me I need to get over it and that in real life, we have to work with people we don't like."

Well, that certainly threw a wrench in things. Joe wanted to help his daughter, but he didn't know how. He pursed his lips as he thought of a game plan.

Later that night, once Katrina had left the table after dinner, Joe decided to email the school to try and arrange a meeting to discuss the issue.

From: Joseph Beaufort, 3MIC

To: Sandra Chontos

Subject: Le concert de Noël (The Christmas concert)

Bonjour Mme. Chontos, (Hello Mrs. Chontos,)

Je veux parler avec toi à propos du concert de Noël. Ma fille Katrina me déclare aujourd'hui qu'il y a un enseignant qui est se force de chanter avec un étudiant qui se intimide. (I'd like to speak to you about the Christmas concert. My daughter Katrina told me today that there is a teacher forcing her to sing with a student who is bullying her.)

Je comprends que le concert de Noël est une tradition préférée à cette école, et je ne veux pas causer un grand problème, alors puis-je parler avec toi ou un(e) enseignant(e) qui est impliqué avec le concert? (I understand that the Christmas concert is a favourite tradition at this school, and I don't want to cause a huge uproar, so may I speak to you or a teacher who is involved with the concert?)

Merci,

Joseph

Sent at 6:34 pm, December 13th, 2017

. . .

From: Sandra Chontos

To: Joseph Beaufort, 3MIC

Subject: Re: Le concert de Noel

Γεια σου Ιωσήφ, (Hello Joseph,)

Ευχαριστώ που το έφερε στην προσοχή μου. Η χριστουγεννιάτικη συναυλία υποτίθεται ότι είναι μια χαρούμενη στιγμή για όλους και αυτού του είδους η συμπεριφορά είναι απαράδεκτη. (Thank you for bringing this to my attention. The Christmas concert is supposed to be a happy time for everyone, and this kind of behaviour is unacceptable.)

Η κυρία Τζένινγκς και η τάξη της θα φτιάξουν διακοσμητικά στην τάξη αύριο. Θα την ενημερώσω ότι θέλεις να μπεις. (Mrs. Jennings and her class are going to make decorations in the classroom tomorrow. I will inform her that you'd like to come in.)

Σας ευχαριστώ και πάλι, (Thank you again,)

Σάντρα (Sandra)

Sent at 7:09 pm, December 13th, 2017

The next day, Joe came into school just as planned and went to Mrs. Jennings's classroom. "It's so nice of you to come in and help today," said Mrs. Jennings. She and Joe sat at an empty table to work on decorations together. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Katrina me déclare hier soir qu'un enseignant se force de chanter avec son tyran," said Joe. "J'essaye de trouver une façon de se changer." (Katrina told me last night that a teacher is forcing her to sing with her bully. I'm trying to find a way to get that changed.)

Mrs. Jennings sighed. "Yeah. She told me about it too. I tried to talk to Mr. Thompson, but he's real stubborn about it. Something about kids these days being too soft."

Joe shook his head. "Eh bien, je suppose que j'ai besoin de parler avec M. Thompson directement." (Well, I guess I'll have to talk to Mr. Thompson directly.)

Once lunchtime rolled around, Joe and Mrs. Jennings exited the classroom to go to the gymnasium and talk to Mr. Thompson directly. Before they got there, a small Grade 1 boy approached them. "Are you the man who gets punched on the TV?"

"Eh, oui," said Joe, a bit flustered. He didn't often get stopped and asked about his career.

"When are you gonna fight again?"

That gave Joe an idea. If he scheduled a match on the same day as the Christmas concert, he would have a perfect excuse to take Katrina out of school that day! "Le vendredi prochain, en l'après-midi." (Next Friday afternoon.)

"Aw, cool," said the boy, "we have a half-day that day. I can watch it!"

"Parfait," said Joe, kneeling down to the boy's level. "Comment t'appelles-tu?" (What's your name?)

"Kaiden," said the boy, running off to go play.

Mrs. Jennings leaned in to Joe. "Next Friday is the day of the Christmas concert."

Joe winked. "Je sais." (I know.)

"Ah..." Mrs. Jenning caught on. "I'll talk to Mr. Dupont to get another kid in Katrina's class to learn the words to that song. Mr. Thompson will not hear a thing about this."

Joe nodded in agreement. His master plan was underway.

Several days later, it was Friday; the day of the Christmas concert. Just as he planned, Joe and Katrina had popped into school for just a moment to wish Mr. Dupont well for the holidays, and then off they went to the arena. Before Joe's match against Mr. Sandman (the only boxer available to fight that afternoon), they planned to show up early to watch a fight between Bear Hugger and Piston Hondo, and play some quick games.

After the first match, another successful win for Piston Hondo, the league gathered in the lounge to play some Heads Up. Just for fun, they decided to set the theme to Sports just to see if any of their names popped up.

"When was he active?!"

"He's been active since 2014!"

"Where's he from?"

"Salmon Arm!"

"Hold on; is this me?!"

"हां!" (Yeah!)

The whole gang laughed as Bear Hugger flipped the phone to continue. "О, это такое веселое время," so said Soda Popinski as he cradled baby Odessa. (Oh, this is such a fun time.)

A few hours later, it was time for Joe and Mr. Sandman's match. "In this corner, we have the WVBA's trooper, our unrelenting jobber, Glass Joe! And in this corner, we've got the big daddy from the far off worlds of Dreamland, Mr. Sandman!"

"Ceci c'est pour Kaiden!" Joe pumped his fist. (This is for Kaiden!)

"Fight!"

The fight began. Mr. Sandman started with his usual back-to-back overheads. Already, Joe was dizzy. He managed to jump out of the way of one hook, but stepped back too fast and got hit with two more.

Joe shook his head to snap himself back and threw a few jabs. They landed, although he suspected Mr. Sandman may have been letting him hit back. When he looked up, he saw Mr. Sandman drawing back for an uppercut; Dreamland Express.

Yup, there was no way out of this one. "Uh...joyeux Noël?" (Uh...merry Christmas?)

Mr. Sandman simply looked at him. "I'm Jewish," he said, before knocking Joe on his ass. Knockout.

Katrina waited on the bench for Joe to come back. When he emerged from the locker room, he was bruised a bit, but they were all covered up by his coat. He knelt down next to his daughter. "Je suis désolé d'être si blessé si proche à Noël." (I'm sorry for being so beaten so close to Christmas.)

Katrina smiled and hugged her father. "It's okay. It was better than going to the concert."

Joe held his daughter and kissed her forehead. "Viens, retournons chez nous et nous allons avoir du chocolat chaud avec des bâtons de menthe." (Come on, let's go home and have some hot chocolate with peppermint sticks.) Taking his daughter by the hand, the two of them started on their way home as a gentle snow began to fall.

Chapter Text

It was a crisp morning in early January; the first day back to school after winter break. Katrina was a bit scared to go back after the stunt she pulled over the Christmas concert, so Joe agreed to walk with her. It was euphoric to be walking down this path again, just like old times.

When they arrived at the school, Joe noticed that the front of the building had been repainted to a much brighter blue and brown over the winter break. There were a handful of students and teachers standing outside; including Mr. Thompson.

The second he saw Katrina, Mr. Thompson marched right over to her. "Young lady, you have some cheek to pull what you did."

He tried to take Katrina's arm to bring her inside, but Joe blocked him. "Ne touche pas ma fille," he said in the sternest voice he could muster. (Do not touch my daughter.)

Mr. Thompson looked up, and was taken aback at what he was seeing. Hold on; this girl is Glass Joe's daughter? "Sir, do you know that your daughter skipped out on the Christmas concert when she had a very important role in it?"

"Oui," said Joe firmly. "Je l'ai sortie de la classe cette jour pour qu'elle assiste à un match." (Yes. I took her out of class that day so she could attend a match.)

"Right, a match you could easily DVR," said Mr. Thompson, crossing his arms.

"En plus," continued Joe, "je n'étais pas impressionné avec ton essai de se forcer de chanter avec son tyran." (Furthermore, I was not impressed with your attempt to force her to sing with her bully.) He turned his nose up at him. "J'espère qu'on ne va pas avoir plus de problèmes dans le futur." (I hope that we won't have any more problems in the future.) He brushed past him and brought Katrina to the door. He kissed her forehead, and off she went inside.

When Katrina got to class, she found that Mr. Dupont had set up a new seating arrangement, with the words "Choisir un nouveau siège" written on the board. (Choose a new seat) Katrina sat at a desk in the middle of the class. Not long after, a girl wearing a red bow in her hair took the seat next to her.

"Hey," said the girl. "Are you the girl who cut the Christmas concert?"

"Yeah," said Katrina.

"They picked me to take your place," said the girl. "My family was really proud that I got a bigger role than originally planned." She extended a hand. "I'm Annie."

"I'm Katrina," said Katrina, shaking her hand.

Katrina and Annie hung out all day; they did their lessons together, played at recess together, and sat together at lunch. When school ended, they found out that they lived on the same street, so they could walk home together.

"So what do your parents do for a living?" Annie asked.

"My dad and his boyfriend are both boxers," said Katrina. "They work for the WVBA."

"Aw, that's so cool," said Annie. "My mom works at a salon, and my dad's a teacher at the high school."

When they got to the crosswalk, Annie crossed the street to get to her house. "Hi, honey," said Mrs. Carmichael when she came inside, "how was school?"

"I have a new friend," said Annie. "Her name is Katrina. We did math together."

At Katrina's home, she was telling the same story to Dad. "And then at lunch time, we swapped juice boxes and shared our fruit gummies."

"Ca c'est genial," said Dad, coming to the couch to sit with her. "Je suis content que toutes les choses se travaille pour toi." (That's cool. I'm happy that things worked out for you.)

Katrina grinned. "So am I."

Chapter Text

It was a chilly February evening. The boxers were all inside at the arena, either prepping for matches or just hanging out and discussing their weekend plans. "अरे रिकी, क्या आपने वह नया बॉब चार्ली गाना सुना है जो कल रात आया था?" Great Tiger asked Piston Hondo. (Hey Riki, have you heard that new Bob Charlie song that came out last night?)

"レゲエはあまり好きではありません." (I don't really like reggae.) Piston Hondo tried to focus on his meditation. He wanted to be completely at peace when he stepped into the ring.

But then, he heard something that instantly told him that today was not going to be peaceful at all.

"りき!" (Riki!)

Please say that wasn't.

The door to the lounge then swung upon.

It was.

"あなたを見つけました！" (I found you!) A college-age girl came bounding into the room. "私はあなたの試合を直接見に来ました！また、おばあちゃんが今夜の夕食の調理を手伝ってくれると聞きましたか？彼女は私たちにそれを決してさせません！" (I came to see your match in person! Also, did you hear that Grandma's gonna let me help her cook dinner tonight? She never lets us do that!)

Piston Hondo sighed and looked up at everyone else in the room, who were all staring at him. "姉のなつみです." (This is my sister, Natsumi.)

"いつから始めますか？ そして、あなたの傷跡はもう色あせていますか？" (When do you start? And have your scars faded yet?) Natsumi was still bouncing up and down.

"Scars?" Katrina cocked her head at Piston Hondo.

Piston Hondo glared at Natsumi before answering. "私は数年前に胸部手術を受けました." (I had chest surgery several years ago.) Looking at the clock, he got up and left the lounge; the match would be starting soon.

"In this corner, we have an ichiban ready to deliver a TKO from Tokyo, Piston Hondo! And in this corner, we've got the big daddy from the far off world of Dreamland, Mr. Sandman! Fight!"

The fight began, and as it progressed, Piston Hondo was starting to wonder if he had finally met his match. Mr. Sandman was far stronger than he had anticipated. Still, he persisted. He prepared himself to enter a Hondo Rush. But just as he was about to throw the last punch in the rush, Mr. Sandman dodged and countered with three very strong punches; Dreamland Express. Piston Hondo went down. Mr. Sandman hit hard. Still, he couldn't give in just yet. He got back up, but found himself off balance. What was going on?

Mr. Sandman noticed that Piston Hondo was stumbling a bit. He waited for him to fully drop his guard, then gave him his most powerful Wink Punch. Again, Piston Hondo fell.

Piston Hondo could hear Pierce's countdown, but he didn't care. He was in terrible pain.

"Ten! Knockout!"

Piston Hondo still didn't get up. Both Pierce and Mr. Sandman went to his side and eased him upright. Mr. Sandman hoisted his arm over his shoulder to walk him to the locker room. Piston Hondo simply didn't know what to think. He had never lost before. He had never been hit so hard before. Was he weaker than he thought he was?

"リキ! あなたは大丈夫？！ あなたが負けたなんて信じられない！ あなたは決して負けません！" (Riki! Are you okay?! I can't believe you lost! You never lose!) Natsumi rushed him as soon as she saw him.

Piston Hondo was terribly overwhelmed. This entire situation was much too stressful to handle. He stumbled, and within seconds, Mr. Sandman had him hauled over his shoulder, like a sack of potatoes. "I get it. You ain't used to this kinda thing." He brought him to the lounge to lie down, while Natsumi trailed behind them.

"ああ、神様, どうした？！メディックが必要ですか？病気ですか？" (OMG, what happened?! Do you need the medic? Are you sick?) Natsumi was going a mile a minute, asking all sorts of rapidfire questions.

"放っておいて、なつみ!" (Leave me alone, Natsumi!) Piston Hondo snapped. He just wanted some quiet for a little bit. Natsumi went silent, and was shooed out of the room. Piston Hondo leaned back and groaned.

An hour had passed. Dinner would be soon, and Natsumi promised she would help Grandma cook. She got up from the bench she was sitting on and peeked inside the lounge. The lights had been dimmed, but she could still see her brother inside. Joe was knelt down next to him, saying soft things to him and having him drink some water. "C'est ça va, mon gars, tu es sur beaucoup de stress maintenant." (It's okay, buddy, you're under a lot of stress right now.)

When Piston Hondo saw Natsumi from the door, he hauled himself up and went to her. Natsumi hugged her brother. "ごめんなさい." (I'm sorry.)

Piston Hondo quietly hugged his sister back. The two went home with each other for dinner.

"リキ！ なつみ！" (Riki! Natsumi!) Grandma Miyoko rushed to the door when they came inside. "ああ、リキ、私はすべてを見ました. ごめんなさい." (Oh, Riki, I saw everything. I'm so sorry.) She ushered her grandchildren to the dinner table, where she set down bowls of Piston Hondo's favourite miso soup for each of them; evidently made when she witnessed the defeat. The three of them ate quietly, and when they were finished, Grandma took the dishes while Natsumi brought Piston Hondo to bed.

"あなたは今どのように感じていますか？" She asked. (How are you feeling now?)

"頭が痛い," mumbled Piston Hondo. (My head hurts.)

"私はそんなに乱暴になってはいけませんでした," said Natsumi softly. (I shouldn't have been so rowdy.)

"それは常にあなたの最悪の欠陥でした." Piston Hondo leaned back. (It's always been your worst flaw.)

"まあ、それはあなたが完璧だという意味ではありません." Natsumi pouted and crossed her arms. "あなたはいつもとても真剣です." (Well, it's not like you're perfect. You're always so serious.)

They both stayed silent for a moment, until Natsumi's face softened. "まだ吐きそうな気がしますか？" (Do you still feel like you're gonna throw up?)

Piston Hondo shook his head. "ちょうどその瞬間のストレスだったと思います." (I think it was just the stress of the moment.)

Natsumi leaned in and hugged her big brother. "私はあなたを愛しています、兄." (I love you, big brother.)

"気をつけろ; あなたは打撲傷を押しています." (Careful; you're pressing on the bruises.) Natsumi fixed her elbows and put her head down. Piston Hondo put a hand on his sister's back. Both drifted into a gentle slumber, and when Grandma came to check on them, she didn't dare disturb them.

Chapter Text

It was a warm March 30th. Yesterday had been Connor's first birthday, and the entire family had come over to celebrate. Many laughs, photos, and cake smashings were had.

Well, a few photos from the event had floated onto FriendFindr, and so that morning, Gina woke up to a friend request and message notification from a man by the name of Henri Ricard. Curious, she opened up the app.

Gina sent: Bonjour? (8:02 am)

. . .

Henri sent: Bonjour ma fille (Hello my daughter) (8:07 am)

Gina sent: Ta fille? (Your daughter?) (8:08 am)

Henri sent: Ta mère ne jamais je te le dis? (Your mother never told you about me?) (8:09 am)

Gina sent: ? (8:09 am)

Henri sent: Ton père? (Your father?) (8:10 am)

Gina sent: Quoi? (What?) (8:11 am)

Henri sent: Tu ne me reconnais pas? (You don't remember me?) (8:12 am)

Gina sent: Non (8:12 am)

Henri sent: Je vais être dans ton ville demain, alors je vais viens pour visiter (I will be in your town tomorrow, so I will come to visit) (8:13 am)

Gina put her phone down. She hadn't seen her father since a few months before Joe was born, and now he was coming to see her? How was she supposed to respond to that?

"Hey, darling," said Blaine, coming in with Connor on his hip. "I've made pancakes and eggs. Are you coming to eat?"

Gina rubbed her eyes and got up from bed. Blaine was her best bet to bounce ideas off of.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Gina had just finished explaining the entire situation to Blaine. Marie had already gone off to school, and Connor was too little to get it, so they didn't need to worry about interference.

"Je pense," said Gina softly. "Il ressemble vraiment à quelqu'un qui veut me rencontrer." (I think. He seems like he really wants to meet me.)

"I don't know, love, I'm getting some real red flags from this," said Blaine, taking another bite of eggs. "You haven't had any contact with him since you were very small. And from what I gather, your mum really doesn't like him."

Gina pursed her lips, but insisted. "Je veux le rencontrer." (I want to meet him.)

Blaine shrugged his shoulders and put his hand over hers. "It's your choice. And I'll be with you every step of the way."

The next day was Saturday, so everyone was home to meet Grandpa Henri. He arrived just after lunchtime, and sat on the couch to chat with Gina. "Alors, tu es marié maintenant, avec deux enfants?" (So, you're married now, with two kids?)

"Mmhmm," mumbled Gina. She felt rather awkward.

"Je suis fière que tu fasses cette décision quand tu étais prête," said Henri, crossing one leg over the other. "Le mariage et les enfants ne sont pas des choses à prendre doucement." (I'm glad that you made this decision when you were ready. Marriage and children are not things to take lightly.)

Gina shifted a bit. This was much more uncomfortable than she expected. She suspected Marie felt the same, since she left the room and went to draw on the sidewalk with chalk.

Blaine pursed his lips. "So, what have you been up to all these years?"

"Ah, je trouve un nouveau travail," said Henri. "Cela me payer généreusement." (Ah, I found a new job. It pays me generously.)

Not generous enough to pay child support, thought Blaine.

Connor stared up at Henri. He was in awe at this strange man. Henri looked down at him. "Ta mere est une femme tres responsable, oui, mon gars?" (Your mother is a very responsible woman, eh, little guy?)

Connor cocked his head. What could that mean?

Outside, Marie had abandoned her chalk and was instead picking up dandelions to place in a makeshift fairy ring, when she heard a car pull up in the driveway. She came out to the front, where Step-Granny, Uncle Joe, and Cousin Katrina had arrived. Step-Granny was carrying a little bag. "Salut, ma belle," said Step-Granny. "Je trouve ce t-shirt adorable au mall aujourd'hui, et c'était tellement mignon, alors j'achète pour ton frère comme un cadeau anniversaire tard." (Hey, sweetie. I found this adorable t-shirt at the mall, and it was so cute, so I got it for your brother as a late birthday gift.)

"Oh, mum's inside," said Marie, bringing her extended family inside.

And that's when crap hit the fan.

When Amélie saw Henri, she stopped in her tracks and went very quiet. "Henri."

Henri furrowed his brow. "Amélie."

Joe turned to his mother. "Maman, qui est ça?" (Mum, who is that?)

Amélie clenched her jaw. "Ton pere, cherie." (Your father, love.)

Joe put a hand on his mother's shoulder and soured his expression. He still remembered hearing about how his father ran out on the family before he was born, and how bitter he felt growing up because of that.

"Ecoutez-moi," said Henri, standing up to tower over Amélie, "j'ai la droit a un relation avec ma fille." (Listen, I have the right to a relationship with my daughter.)

"Tu as ce droit pour trente-six années," said Amélie coldly, "pourquoi vas-tu seulement prendre avantage de ça maintenant?" (You've had that right for thirty-six years, why are you only taking advantage of that now?)

"Regardez ici, salope," said Henri, dipping into a dark tone of voice, "tu étais l'un qui a forcé ses enfants sur moi." (Look here, bitch, you were the one who forced these kids on me.)

"Okay, you kids get back," said Blaine, collecting Connor, Marie, and Katrina and holding them on the couch a safe distance away.

Amélie went quiet for a moment, and her face fell. "Pourquoi ne me dis-tu jamais que tu ne veux pas d'enfants? Je pense vraiment que tu vas adorer Gina et Joseph." (Why didn't you ever tell me you didn't want kids? I really thought you would love Gina and Joseph.)

"Suffit!" (Enough!) Henri raised a hand to shut Amélie up. Amélie's eyes went wide with terror, and she shrunk away.

Oh, that was enough indeed. Joe pushed his way in between his mother and father. "Viens, me frapper!" (Go on, hit me!)

Henri stopped. "Quoi?"

"Tu as deja lever ton main a ta femme, alors viens, lever ton main a ton fils aussi!" Joe raised his arms, as if to say "bring it". (You already raised your hand at your wife, so come on, raise your hand at your son too!)

Henri was confused for a minute, until he realised this must be the baby Amélie told him about before he left. He lowered his hand. "Je ne vais pas te frapper-" (I won't hit you-)

"Do it, you useless bastard!" Joe roared.

Katrina left the couch and ran to her father's side. "Don't hit my daddy!"

Seeing his daughter now at his hip, Joe put a hand on her head and took a deep breath. "Regardez, vieux homme, d'être un parent seul est difficile. Je sais, j'en ai un. Mais je prends cette responsabilité, et donne à ma fille un parent quand sa mère se périr." (Look, old man, being a single parent is hard. I know, I am one. But I took that responsibility, and gave my daughter a parent when her mother perished.)

He put a hand on Henri's shoulder and began to lead him out of the house. "Parce que je ne veux jamais placer ma belle p'tite fille dans la même situation que tu me placer dedans; un seule enfant avec sans père. Mais je savais maintenant que je n'en avais plus besoin. J'ai ma propre famille que j'adore tellement, et ça ne t'inclue pas." (Because I never want to put my little girl in the same situation that you put me in; a lonely kid without a father. But I know now that I don't need you anymore. I have my own family that I love very much, and that doesn't include you.) He pushed Henri out the door. "Passe une belle journée." (Have a nice day.)

When he came back inside, he knelt down next to Katrina. "Je suis désolé que tu aies vu ça." (I'm sorry you had to see that.)

Katrina hugged her father. "You saved Grandma."

Blaine came over and put a hand on Gina's shoulder. "Gina, honey, we are never letting that man in this house again."

"Oh, Blaine, Joseph, mes gars," said Amélie, hugging her son and son-in-law, "je suis tellement reconnaissant que vous êtes ici pour vos enfants." (Oh, Blaine, Joseph, my boys, I'm so grateful that you're here for your children.)

"Mais oui, Maman," said Joe, "c'est notre responsabilité pour prendre soin d'elles." (But of course, Mum, it's our job to take care of them.)

"And it's our responsibility to keep them safe," said Blaine. "Now, why don't we go to the kitchen and calm down with some cheesecake?" He corralled his family into the dining area for the sweet taste of sweet, creamy, chocolatey goodness.

Chapter Text

It was a breezy April morning. The winds were blowing the cherry blossom petals right off the trees. In the arena, Pierce was making sure everything was in line. "Joe, have you seen Riki? He's supposed to be here for your match in ten minutes."

"J'étais juste sur le téléphone avec lui," said Joe. "Il ne vient pas, il ne se sent pas bien. Sa grand-mère insiste qu'il reste au lit." (I was just on the phone with him. He isn't coming, he's not feeling well. His grandmother insisted he stay in bed.)

"Damn," said Pierce. "What do we do now?"

"Pas de soucis," said Joe, "il nous envoie un remplacement." (No worries. He sent us a replacement.)

"He did?" Pierce was intrigued. "Who?"

Right after he asked, Natsumi came into the back room wearing the gaudiest workout uniform Pierce had ever seen. She looked like a glittery rainbow from the 80s had exploded next to her. Wait, Natsumi wasn't even born yet in the 80s! "Is she the replacement?"

"リキは私を彼の代わりに指輪に送った!" Natsumi grinned. (Riki sent me to the ring to take his place!)

Pierce blinked. "This is going to be a very interesting match," he said. "Alright, let's at least get your gloves fitted."

"ああ、アマール、お越しいただきありがとうございます." (Oh, Amar, thank you for visiting us.)

"यही दोस्त एक दूसरे के लिए करते हैं." (That's what friends do for each other.)

Piston Hondo blinked sleep from his eyes. Grandma and Great Tiger were standing over him. "अरे," said Great Tiger, kneeling down. "आप कैसा महसूस कर रहे हैं?" (Hey, how are you feeling?)

"良くないですが," mumbled Piston Hondo, pushing himself upright, "それは変装した祝福だと思います." (Not good…but I suppose it's a blessing in disguise.)

Great Tiger sighed. "आप अभी भी रिंग में वापस आने के लिए तैयार नहीं हैं, है ना?" (You're still not ready to get back in the ring, are you?)

When Piston Hondo shook his head, Great Tiger put an arm around him. "मुझे पता है कि आपकी पहली हार हमेशा सबसे कठिन होती है, लेकिन आप हार नहीं मान सकते." (I know your first defeat is always the hardest, but you can't just give up.)

Piston Hondo said nothing. He just averted eye contact.

"一緒に来て、私たちは試合を逃したくない," said Grandma. (Come on, we don't want to miss the match.) She shooed the two of them into the living room to watch the live, televised match.

"In this corner, we have the WVBA's trooper, our unrelenting jobber, Glass Joe! And in this corner, we have a newcomer with overflowing energy and speed to match, Crossbow Mountain! Fight!"

Joe was surprised to learn that Natsumi-er, Crossbow Mountain actually knew what she was doing in the ring. Of course, why wouldn't she? Her brother was a boxer! In fact, she had a few tricks that Piston Hondo didn't; she didn't give away all her attacks by twitching her eyebrows first.

Crossbow Mountain hopped left and right, but when she centered herself, she didn't start a flurry of jabs. Rather, she threw one jab, drew back with her other arm, and delivered an even stronger jab. She called it the Crossbow Crunch. But then, the name implied the crunching of bones, and she couldn't exactly hit hard enough to do that. Maybe she should change it to Crossbow Crush. No, that has the same problem. Perhaps Crossbow Crack? Oh no, she couldn't use that, that sounded like a drug.

Whatever the move was called, it knocked Joe down.

"One. …Two. …Three."

Joe pulled himself back up to continue the fight. Crossbow Mountain's bright outfit was hard to look at, and the glitter catching the ceiling lights' reflection was not helping matters. He practically had to squint to look at her.

Crossbow Mountain was loving this. Why didn't she think of taking up boxing? Who cares that she was fighting an old man, those crowds were screaming her name! That gave her confidence, and that confidence translated surprisingly well into strength. This time, she copied her big brother's signature move and started swinging. Unlike her big brother, though, her punches were random and not always coordinated. But honestly, does that really matter when you're fighting Glass Joe? Down he went again.

"One. …Two. …Three. …Four."

Still, Joe persisted. Crossbow Mountain hopped back and around to evade his punches, and eventually moved right under a light, which made all the glitter on her outfit light up. Joe winced and squeezed his eyes shut. While he was blinded, Crossbow Mountain gave him her signature move, which she finally decided to call the Crossbow's Target. Not alliterative, but much more meaningful. TKO.

When the boxers had gathered in the back, Natsumi was still in her workout clothes. "あれ見た？！ 勝った！ そして、それは私の最初の試みでした！" (Did you see that?! I won! And it was my first try!)

"Yeah, great job," muttered Mr. Sandman, annoyed by her loudness.

Once Natsumi had gathered her things and left, Super Macho Man turned to Mr. Sandman. "That is the ugliest outfit I've ever seen. They seriously let her in the ring like that?"

Joe breezed back the bigger guys and went to collect Katrina. "Loss number seventy?"

"Oui," mumbled Joe, looking sheepish. He was a little embarrassed that even his own daughter had it drilled into her head that he never wins.

Once Natsumi got off the bus, she was back home. Remembering her promise to be less rowdy, at least at home, she shut the door behind her quietly. In the living room, she found her brother falling asleep on Great Tiger's shoulder, while Grandma was up looking out the window.

"ああ、なつみ、あなたは素晴らしかったです！" (Oh, Natsumi, you were fantastic!) Grandma crowed when she turned around and saw her granddaughter. She rushed over and hugged her.

Natsumi grinned, then turned her attention to Piston Hondo. She nudged his arm until she saw his eyes open. "私が勝つのを見ましたか？" (Did you see me win?)

"うん..." (Yeah…) Natsumi saw something she rarely ever saw from her brother; a warm smile on his face. He sat up, and the two of them hugged as well.

"तुम्हें पता है, मैंने कसम खाई थी कि मैं महसूस कर सकता हूं कि उनका बुखार गायब हो गया जब उन्होंने घोषित किया कि टीकेओ," said Great Tiger, sitting up straighter. (You know, I swore I could feel his fever disappear when they declared that TKO.)

Natsumi looked up, and noticed Grandma standing in the doorway, about to go prepare lunch. "ハンバーグパテ?" (Hamburger patties?)

Those were Natsumi's favourite. She smiled. "はい、おばあちゃん." (Yes, Grandma.)

Chapter Text

It was the last day of Grade 4, and Joe was waiting for Katrina to come home from school; they were going to spend the evening at a dinner with the rest of the family.

Finally, there she was, strolling down the sidewalk in her green tee and overalls; "petite Luigi", he had joked when he saw her at breakfast. "Salut, ma belle," he said. "Es-tu prête pour y aller?" (Hey, sweetie. Are you ready to go?)

"Yeah," said Katrina, climbing into the car. As the two clicked their seatbelts on, she started up about what she had done at school that day. "Before they let us do our own thing until the bell, they told us we were gonna learn a special lesson, and then they showed us a bunch of gross facts about the body."

Oh, merde… A cold zing ran down Joe's spine; he had been dreading this day for years. "Est-ce qu'ils vous parlent de puberté?" (Did they tell you about puberty?)

"Yeah, I think that's what they called it."

Joe put a hand over his chest and took a deep breath. He could do this; and hey, he at least had a head start. "La puberté, c'est les changements dans ton corps qui se passent quand tu transitionnels d'un enfant à un adulte." (Puberty is the changes in your body that happen when you transition from a child to an adult.)

"I got that," said Katrina. "But not much of the other stuff made sense."

"D'accord," said Joe. "Tu peux parler avec moi à propos, et quand nous arrivons chez ta grand-mère, tu peux parler avec Marie et Tatie Gina." (Okay. You can talk to me about it, and when we get to your grandmother's, you can talk to Marie and Aunt Gina.)

As they drove, Katrina had lots of questions. "Well, first of all, they kept saying that all the girls are gonna get really emotional when we have our puberty."

"Eh bien, c'est presque vrai," said Joe. "Tu vas avoir des hormones qui peuvent affecter tes émotions, mais pas toutes les hormones vont être comme ça, et les garçons vont les avoir aussi." (Well, that's kind of true. You'll have hormones that affect your mood, but not all hormones are like that, and the boys are gonna get them too.)

"Did you get them, dad?"

"Oh, oui, j'avais," chuckled Joe. "Quand j'avais douze ans, il n'était pas une semaine où je ne pleurais pas à propos de quelque chose de petit." (Oh, yes, I did. When I was twelve, there wasn't a week where I didn't cry over something small.)

That made sense, thought Katrina. "Does it hurt when you're bleeding?"

"Mais oui, ma belle." (Of course, sweetie.) Joe answered. Then he realised what she meant by "bleeding". "Oh, ça. Je…n'ai aucune idée. Tu besoin de parler avec ta tante et ta cousine propos de ça." (Oh, that. I…have no idea. You need to talk to your aunt and your cousin about that.)

"Why, doesn't it happen to you?" Katrina cocked her head.

Joe couldn't help but laugh. "Non, et si ça se passe, tu as besoin de me prendre à l'hôpital." (Nope, and if it does, you need to take me to the hospital.)

When the two arrived at Amélie's house, Joe directed Katrina towards Gina and Marie to talk. "Elle s'apprit à propos de puberté aujourd'hui," he explained, "et elle a beaucoup des questions." (She learned about puberty today, and she has a lot of questions.)

Understanding completely, Gina brought Katrina to the lounge room to talk. "Écoute à moi, p'tite," said Gina, "la majorité des choses qu'ils te enseignent en école propos de puberté est nul. La meilleure source, c'est tes membres de famille qui s'experiencent ces choses." (Listen to me, little one, most of the things they teach you about puberty in school are crap. The best source is family members who've experienced these things.)

"Firstly, they act like everyone is going to go through the same things," said Marie. "You don't. Everyone hits puberty differently. For instance, I've stayed mostly the same height, but my friend Lillian shot up like a rocket."

"Alors, l'acné," continued Gina. "C'est plus facile de se prévenir si tu lave ton visage quand quelque chose se rend sur. Les choses comme la terre, la sueur, et la graisse de nourriture." (So, acne. It's easier to avoid if you wash your face when something gets on it. Things like dirt, sweat, and grease from food.)

"Zits are the white ones with heads that can pop," said Marie, "while blackheads are little specks of dirt that get stuck in your skin and are a pain to get rid of. Is this making sense?"

"Uh huh," said Katrina, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

Gina picked up a stray notepad to write down a shopping list of sorts. "Ceci c'est les choses dont tu as besoin," she said. (These are the things that you'll need.) She wrote down the types of pads and acne cream that she and Marie used.

"Now, about the big red thing," said Marie. "The bleeding itself doesn't actually hurt. It's just a pain to clean up after."

"Les crampes vont faire mal," said Gina, "mais elles ne vont pas être là tout le temps. Une compresse chauffante va faire des miracles sur des crampes." (The cramps will hurt, but they won't be there all the time. A heating pad works miracles on cramps.)

"And you'll probably be very hungry when it happens, so once you have an idea of when it happens, try to stock up on snacks beforehand."

Just then, Amélie came downstairs. "Le dîner est prêt, mes filles." (Dinner's ready, girls.)

Gina put her hand on Katrina's knee. "As-tu compris?" (Do you understand?)

Katrina nodded, and trailed after her grandmother to go eat.

That Sunday, Joe and Katrina went round to the store to pick up the things on Gina's list. When they got home, Katrina went upstairs to the bathroom to put them away. When she opened the cabinet under the sink, she found a pink package of Padme pads plunked behind the drain cleaner. "Dad, I thought you told me you didn't get periods!"

"Je n'avais pas," said Joe, coming upstairs, "qu'est-ce que tu parler propos?" (I don't, what are you talking about?)

"Then why are there pads underneath the sink already?"

Coming into the bathroom, Joe saw the package in her hands. "Oh, ces serviettes. J'oublierai qu'elles étaient là." He knelt down next to his daughter. "J'achèterai ces serviettes si Gina reste ici et son cycle a commencé." He pointed her towards the date on the packaging. "Si elles étaient mon, elles ne seraient pas ici depuis 2015." (Oh, those pads. I forgot they were there. I bought those for if Gina stays here and her cycle starts. If they were mine, they wouldn't have been here since 2015.)

Satisfied with that answer, Katrina packed all the pads away under the sink. "I still don't understand why you don't get a period."

Joe sighed. "Regardez, ma belle, j'étais tout juste préparée pour parler de puberté. S'il-te-plaît, attendre jusqu'à l'ecole milieu pour parler de sexe." (Look, sweetie, I was barely ready for the puberty talk. Please, wait until middle school for the sex talk.)

Katrina shrugged as her father left the room. Man. Grownups are so weird about their own bodies.

Chapter Text

If you were to ask Joseph L. Beaufort what the best day of his life was, he would obviously tell you the day he met his daughter. But as for the second best, it would be the day he finally won a boxing match.

Nothing that day had predicted good fortune; he'd eaten his normal breakfast, did a load of laundry, and sat on the front steps with Katrina eating popsicles to beat the unbearable August heat. And when he got to the arena, he had put on his uniform, tightened the laces on his boots, and wrapped his fists; all the same as any other day.

He had entered the ring like he would any other day. He had heard those exact same introductions.

"In this corner, we have the WVBA's trooper, our unrelenting jobber, Glass Joe! And in this corner, we have the raging, reckless, Turkish boxer number one, Bald Bull!"

He had begun the match on the wrong foot, as he always did when he fought Bald Bull, allowing him to get the first punch. He had gotten punched into his first knockdown before he could get a single hit in, like every other time.

So what happened?

Simple; Bald Bull had gone in for a Bull Charge once Joe had gotten back up. Frightened and caught off guard, Joe had thrown the hardest punch he could to defend himself.

And then it happened.

Once Joe's fist had connected with Bald Bull's throat, he stumbled back, and flopped over onto the mat. Joe was so shocked at what he just did, he could barely hear Pierce giving the ten count.

"Ten! Knockout!"

The crowd went absolutely wild. They were incredibly surprised; Glass Joe had finally won! After so many years of loss after loss, he did it!

Joe looked around at the entire room. All of those people were cheering for him! He couldn't believe it! The realization finally sunk in, and he raised his arms and gave a jaunty cheer of triumph.

When he had gotten out of the locker room, Katrina and Von Kaiser had rushed him with hugs, kisses, and praises. They were incredibly, enormously proud of him. Joe held his family tight, and brought them along to have a nice dinner.

When their waitress arrived to offer them drinks, Joe and Von Kaiser were surprised to recognize Judy the pharmacist, who explained that she wanted a career where she wasn't constantly fretting over potentially having someone's life in her hands. She brought them each a tall glass of water with lots of ice.

After they had their dinner, with soft cookies for dessert, they arrived back home, where Von Kaiser swept up his lover and carried him upstairs to bed. Curled up and cozy, he kissed his forehead, and whispered to him, "Ich bin stolz auf dich, Joseph." (I'm proud of you, Joseph.)

Chapter Text

Act natural.

Katrina smiled awkwardly through her breakfast. She had woken up to a bloody mess in the bathroom, and after the initial surge of panic, realised that she had her period now. Dad didn't get one, so he wouldn't understand, and so he absolutely could not know.

"Est-ce que tout va bien, ma belle?" (Is everything alright, sweetie?) Joe was confused as to why his daughter was so on edge.

"Uh, yeah," said Katrina, stuffing the last of her toaster waffles into her mouth.

Joe shrugged; maybe this was just tween girls being weird. "Alors, tu vas commencer la cinquième année demain, es-tu excité?" (So, you're starting Grade 5 tomorrow, are you excited?)

"Uh huh," said Katrina. "A bunch of kids told me that Mme. Larousse is really nice." She snarfed down her last bite, put her plate in the sink, and rushed back upstairs, where she was safe.

She flopped down on her bed face-first. This sucked. She couldn't talk to Claire or Annie; Dad would hear her on the phone. Nor could she call Tatie Gina; she would tell Dad outright.

Now what?

The next day, Katrina arrived at school for her first day of her last year of elementary school. The next year, she would officially be a middle school kid, and oh boy, was she excited. She couldn't wait for big lockers and specialised classes for each topic.

When she got into the classroom, she felt a pang of pain shoot through her stomach like a bolt of lightning. She winced; this must be those cramps that Tatie Gina told her about.

She slumped into a sensible desk near the front of the row. Ow.

"Bonjour," said Mme. Larousse, looking up from her desk. "S'appelle-tu Mlle. Katrina Beaufort?" (Hello. Are you Miss Katrina Beaufort?)

"Oui," mumbled Katrina. Ow.

"Es-tu va, ma belle?" Mme. Larousse sounded like Dad when she said that. (Are you alright, sweetie?)

Well, great. Katrina didn't really know how to explain her situation in French. "Crampes," she muttered. "Crampes de la période." (Cramps. Period cramps.)

Mme. Larousse caught on. "Oh," she said. She went over to a cabinet against the second wall and picked up a cushy-looking thing. "Ceci va t'aider." (This will help you.)

Katrina pushed the button, and the thing turned on; it was a portable heating pad. She pushed it against her stomach. Oh, that's nice. She put her head down on the desk and relaxed her shoulders.

"Au fait, le terme correct c'est 'douleurs menstruelles'," said Mme. Larousse, going back to her desk. (By the way, the correct term is "douleurs menstruelles".)

At home, Joe had gone upstairs to retrieve his phone that he had left in the bathroom, when he found the cabinet under the sink left wide open. Inside, he found the package of pads he and Katrina had bought in June split wide open.

Oh non. Oh non. Joe put a hand over his heart. Why didn't Katrina tell him she had started her period? Now she was at school, and she didn't have any extra snacks, or anything to help her with cramps. She might not have even brought extra pads!

A knock at the door distracted him. Von Kaiser was waiting for him when he got downstairs. "Bonjour, Viktor," he said shakily, kissing his boyfriend's cheek.

"Du siehst nervös aus, ist etwas nicht in Ordnung?" (You look nervous, is something wrong?) Von Kaiser cocked his head.

Joe sighed. "Katrina a commencé son cycle menstruel aujourd'hui." (Katrina started her period today.)

"Oh." Von Kaiser tensed up and straightened his back. His only close female relative was his five year old niece; he had even less experience with this than Joe did!

Joe shook his head. "J'ai pensé qu'elle me dire quand c'est se passe." (I thought she would tell me when it happened.)

"Nun, wissen Sie, das ist eine sehr persönliche Sache für sie. Wahrscheinlich will sie es privat halten." Von Kaiser put a hand on Joe's shoulder. (Well, you know, this is a very personal thing for her. She probably wants to keep it private.)

"Je sais," said Joe softly. "J'ai juste…pensé qu'elle me dire tout." (I know. I just…thought she told me everything.)

"Sie wird erwachsen; Sie will ihre Privatsphäre. Als ich in ihrem Alter war, habe ich meinen Eltern kaum etwas erzählt." (She's growing up; she wants her privacy. When I was her age, I barely told my parents anything.) Von Kaiser brought Joe to the couch to sit down. "Aber sie will dich immer noch. Denn egal wie alt sie wird oder wie viel Ärger sie bekommt, du bist immer noch ihr Vater und sie liebt dich immer noch." (But she still wants you. Because no matter how old she gets, or how much trouble she gets in, you're still her father, and she still loves you.)

Joe looked up at Von Kaiser with his gentle brown eyes, and laid his head on his shoulder. How was it that he, a childless man, had so much good advice for him, a single father?

At lunchtime, Katrina gazed across each classroom, looking for an empty one to just sit and be by herself. The only one that was totally empty was her old kindergarten classroom, and even then, Mrs. Jennings was still there.

"Hello," said Mrs. Jennings when Katrina came inside the room. "Long time, no see."

"Uh huh," mumbled Katrina sitting down in a chair that was now too small for her.

Mrs. Jennings blinked. "Is there something on your mind?"

Katrina looked up and sighed. "I got my period yesterday and I don't want to tell my dad."

Mrs. Jennings came to sit in the too-small chair next to her. "Why don't you want to tell him?"

"He doesn't get it," said Katrina. "He doesn't know what it's like."

Mrs. Jennings crossed one leg over the other. "You know, Katrina, you have probably one of the most realistic views of your parents that I've seen in kids. You know that your dad gets scared sometimes, he doesn't know everything, and there are things that make him squeamish." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Your dad is a regular guy who just happens to be your dad, and it's normal to see that. He isn't perfect, and neither are you."

Katrina said nothing. She simply reached into her bookbag for her sandwich. It was cold cut turkey on white bread; at least that was still the same.

"When it first happened to me, I didn't want to tell anybody about it." Mrs. Jennings chuckled. "I didn't even tell my mom. But she found out when she noticed her pads were going missing, and so she sat me down and told me "Linda, it happens to almost every little girl on the planet, and it's horrible, but it does not mean you are a bad person". And I live by that."

Well, of course, thought Katrina, she's your mom. Dads aren't the same.

When Katrina got home from school, she found Dad and Von Kaiser sitting together on the couch. Dad beckoned for her to come over. "Je savais propos de ton cycle. C'est…c'est correct si tu ne veux pas de me parler à propos, mais si tu veux, je vais écouter." (I know about the period thing. It's…it's okay if you don't want to talk to me about it, but if you do, I'll listen.)

Katrina quietly sat down on the couch next to her father. And later that evening, when the family was watching the new episode of Life with Johnny in California, Katrina randomly started bawling her eyes out upon seeing the family's new puppy. "Katrina, c'est juste un chiot," said Joe, "pourquoi es-tu pleure?" (Katrina, it's just a puppy, why are you crying?)

"He's so cuuuuute!" After a big, shaky gasp, Katrina asked her father, "Is this what hormones are?!"

Joe couldn't help but chuckle while holding his daughter and rubbing her back. "Bingo."

Chapter Text

It was a sunny morning with a slight breeze; September 18th. When Joe went downstairs for breakfast, he found that Katrina had already put on coffee for him.

"Happy birthday, daddy," she said, going over to hug him and kiss his cheek. "People have been calling all morning. Grandma and Tatie Gina are coming over for lunch, and Vikky's going to swing by this evening. He has a gift for you."

With that, she took her bookbag and left for school. Joe smiled, and picked up his coffee, fresh from the brewer.

Later, at lunchtime, just like Katrina had said, Amélie and Gina, with Connor on her hip, arrived with finger sandwiches and a fruit tray. They came inside to sit down and eat.

"Alors, Joseph," said Gina, "comment sens-tu d'avoir trente-quatre ans?" (So, Joseph, how does it feel to be thirty-four?)

"J'en sais pas," said Joe, "je ne sens pas différente." (I don't know, I don't feel different.)

"Tu étais presque le même âge que Katrina quand j'étais cet âge," said Amélie. (You were close to Katrina' age when I was that age.)

Joe never thought of that. He was ten when his mother turned thirty-four, and now here he was, turning thirty-four while his daughter was ten. If the cycle continued, he would be a grandfather before he reached his sixties! He shuddered a bit. He couldn't imagine ever being a grandfather; it just made him feel old.

Connor's happy babbling snapped him back into reality. He shook his head. He was perfectly content with his present state of being a father, and an uncle.

That evening, as expected, Von Kaiser arrived around dinnertime. The three of them had takeaway rib sandwiches and fries. Once they had finished, Von Kaiser presented Joe with a small box with a red bow on top. When he opened it, it was a new phone. "Oh, Viktor, ceci c'est tellement généreux de toi." (Oh, Viktor, this is very generous of you.)

"Hier," said Von Kaiser, "helfe ich Ihnen bei der Übertragung Ihrer Daten. (Here, I'll help you transfer your data.) He connected the two phones with a cable and let them sit.

"What are we gonna do with the old one?" Katrina asked.

"Ich dachte, es würde an Sie weitergegeben werden," said Von Kaiser. (I was thinking it would be passed down to you.)

Katrina's jaw dropped. "Really?!"

For real. Once the data transfer was complete, Von Kaiser helped Katrina set up the old phone with Joe, Amélie, Gina, Annie, and his phone numbers. Joe insisted they wait until she was thirteen to set up any social media accounts.

"J'ai vraiment apprécié toutes ces choses," said Joe, kissing Von Kaiser's cheek. (I really appreciate all this.)

"Ich liebe dich, Joseph," said Von Kaiser, "und ich möchte, dass du und deine Familie glücklich sind." (I love you, Joseph, and I want you and your family to be happy.) He held his lover and his daughter close.

Chapter Text

“Why do fools fall in love?”

“Why is the sky blue, and not a different colour?”

“What would happen if the sun got colder?”

“Was there ever a dinosaur with hair?”

"What does the name Nagisa mean?"

"How many times does someone shoot a laser gun in Star Wars?"

“Qu’est-ce que tu écris à propos?” Joe read Katrina’s page over her shoulder. (What are you writing about?)

“Mrs. Lindstrom wants us to write down every single question we can think of, to build a curiosity wall at school. Our theme is “No Such Thing as a Dumb Question”.” Katrina continued to write more questions, such as “Why is a bird called a bird, and not a fly?” and “What is a hootenanny?”

“Interessante,” said Joe, sitting next to his daughter. “Qui est Mme. Lindstrom?” (Interesting. …Who is Mrs. Lindstrom?)

“Our English teacher,” said Katrina. “We go see her every day after lunch.”

Katrina wrote down every single question she could possibly think of, such as “Why can’t people be born with purple hair?” and “Why is some fish okay to eat raw, but not all fish?”

Intrigued, Joe picked up a pen and paper and jotted down some questions he’d had burning in the back of his mind for a while.

“Ou est-ce que le mot “zombie” d'origine?" (Where did the word “zombie” come from?)

“Pourquoi est-ce que les américaines se prononcent Paris comme “pair-iss” et pas “pa-ree”?” (Why do Americans pronounce Paris like “pair-iss” and “pa-ree”?)

“Qui était le premier boxeur de l'histoire?" (Who was the first boxer in history?)

Joe then glanced back at Katrina’s paper. “If I was a toy, what would my box say?”

That was a very intriguing question. If Katrina was like a little doll in a toy store, what would her box say? Why, it could say that if you press the button on the back of her neck, she will talk to you. She’d come with a few different outfits, and she’d have brushable hair. And on the back of her box, there’d be a little story, that tells the child holding her that she was born in Canada, and came to live with her Parisian father at a young age; that she likes to draw, play games, and she gets straight A’s in English class.

Then he thought about the question in terms of himself. He suspected he would not make a very good doll. What kid would want to play with a homely, clumsy, dare he say, average Joe? Imagine that box; “Joseph Beaufort was born in Paris to a single mother, since his father abandoned the family because he didn’t want a second child. He grew up without any friends, then had a one-night stand baby, and now he’s a thirty-four year old loser who’s terrible at his job and can’t do anything right.”

He stopped his train of thought for a moment and blinked. People don’t really think that, do they?

He shook his head. Of course not, that would be ridiculous. After all, if it were true, he would have his daughter, boyfriend, and circle of companions, now would he?

The next day, when Katrina went off to school, everyone wrote their questions onto little slips of paper, and piled them into a fishbowl. “Now,” said Mrs. Lindstrom, “everyone will get a slip, and for tonight’s homework, you have to find an answer to the question you get. And even if you can’t find an answer, that’s okay; someone else in the class might have one.”

Every student in the class got a slip. On Katrina’s slip was written, in Tameka Dominguez’s handwriting, “Who was the first lady president?”

Katrina got to thinking about that. Around her, some kids were writing out little stories as their answers. Katrina, on the other hand, went to the library at lunch time to find a history book.

That afternoon, when she came home from school, she asked her father, “Have you ever heard of Vigdis Finnbogadottir?”

“Hm?” Joe looked up from his book. “Non, qui c’est elle?" (No, who is she?)

“She was the first lady president in the whole world. I learned that in school today.” She looked rather proud of herself. “All by myself.”

"Génial, bien pour toi.” (Cool, good for you.) Joe praised his daughter.

Chapter Text

It was an average Thursday morning in the middle of May. As normal, Katrina woke up to her alarm jingling a tune. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and tossed the covers off.

Once she was dressed, she went downstairs for breakfast. However, Dad wasn't there. That was weird; usually her father was always up before her. She shrugged it off and got herself a banana and some cereal.

Dad still wasn't downstairs by the time she was finished. She packed a lunch and got all her things together, but still no sign of him. Katrina decided to go back upstairs and check on him. When she peeked into his room, his alarm was gently ringing, but he seemed to be either sleeping through it or just ignoring it. He looked tired, with a gentle glow on his face. Dad must be catching a cold.

She went to the bathroom to get a few things. What do people need when they're sick, she thought. Tissues, of course. And a thermometer? I don't know if it will help, but it never hurts to try. What else? Water! She found all three of those things and left them by Dad's bedside table. She turned his alarm off and kissed his forehead. "I'll see you after school."

When she arrived at school, Katrina went to her classroom and sat at her desk. Mme. Larousse was at her desk as well, grading last week's spelling test. "Bonjour, Katrina," she said when she saw her. "Comment était ta nuit?" (Hello, Katrina. How was your night?)

"C'était bon," said Katrina, "mais je pense que mon père a attrapé un rhume." (It was good, but I think my dad's caught a cold.)

"Oh, ca c'est pire," said Mme. Larousse. "Quand tu retourneras chez toi, dis-lui que j'ai donné mes bonnes souhaits." (Oh, that sucks. When you get home, tell him I sent my well wishes.)

As the morning progressed, more and more students entered the classroom, and soon it was nine o'clock, and class was in session. "Alors, classe, qui peut me dire la réponse de neuf divisé par trois?" (So, class, who can tell me the answer to nine divided by three?)

"Atchoum!"

Joe woke up sneezing like mad. He shook his head and looked at the clock. It read 9:08. Had he really slept in for over two hours?! He then noticed the glass of water, box of tissues, and thermometer on the bedside table. Katrina must have left those there. Quelle gentille fille, he thought. (What a good girl.) He picked up a tissue from the box and swabbed at his nose.

Looking out the window, he could see the sun up and the grass; it had grown in a beautiful shade of green after the snow had all gone away. He rubbed his eyes, hauled himself out of bed, bundled himself into his robe, and went downstairs to make himself some chamomile tea for his throat. Once he was in the kitchen, he didn't turn the light on; he simply sat and drank his tea while the sun's rays beamed in through the window. He found it peaceful.

Later, it was lunchtime. "So is your dad coming in to parent-teacher conferences tomorrow?" Annie asked Katrina.

"Why wouldn't he?" Claire said. "He loves Mme. Larousse 'cause she's from Paris." She made fake kissy noises.

Katrina pouted. "No he doesn't, my dad already has a boyfriend."

Claire didn't hear her; she was lost in her own little game. "Oh, Joey, oh, Janey, mwah, mwah, mwah."

Katrina scowled. "Let's go on the double swings when we're done eating," she whispered to Annie. They finished their sandwiches, and off they went to the double swings.

"What are you gonna do when you get home?" Annie asked.

"I don't know," said Katrina. "Probably figure out dinner."

"You can cook dinner by yourself?" Annie cocked her head. "My mom doesn't let me do that alone."

"Well, I'm the only one who can cook right now," said Katrina, "cause my dad's sick."

"Oh," said Annie quietly. "I hope he gets better soon." She thought for a moment. "Hey, Star Twinkle is on tonight. Are you gonna watch it?"

"Maybe." Katrina shrugged.

That afternoon, Katrina came home from school, and made sure to open and close the door quietly. She found her father laying on the couch, having a nap.

She went upstairs, did her homework, put her dirty laundry in the hamper, and then looked at her clock. It was 2:46; two hours and fourteen minutes until five, which was dinnertime. So she had some time to kill.

At 3:09, she heard Dad downstairs sneezing. She put her pink pencil down and went down to the living room. "Dad?"

"Huh?" Dad looked up. "Oh, tu es ici." (Huh? Oh, you're here.)

Katrina sat with her father. "How are you feeling?"

"Mieux que ce matin," said Dad. "Mon gorge n'est plus irritée." (Better than this morning. My throat isn't sore anymore.)

"That's good," said Katrina. She picked up the remote. "Hey, Life with Johnny in California comes on soon."

It was almost five o'clock. Dad had fallen back asleep, and so Katrina had gone to the kitchen to get two packets of instant chicken soup. She put the kettle on, and took out two bowls. She watched the kettle boil, and once it clicked, she poured some water into both bowls, mixed it with the instant chicken mix, and set the bowls on the table. Then she went to wake up Dad.

Dad rubbed the sleep from his eyes as Katrina pulled him up to come eat. "Je suis impressionné par toi aujourd'hui. Tu prends soin de moi, fais tous tes devoirs, et cuisine le dîner." (I'm impressed with you today. You took care of me, did all your homework, and cooked dinner.) He ruffled her hair.

"So do you think you're okay to go to parent-teacher conferences tomorrow?" Katrina asked.

"Je pense," said Dad. "Je ne me sens pas vraiment malade non plus" (I think. I don't feel very ill anymore.)

"That's good," said Katrina.

The next morning, Joe, fresh-faced and feelin' fine, entered the school for his 9:30 conference with Mme. Larousse.

"Bonjour, M. Beaufort," said Mme. Larousse when Joe came in. "Katrina m'informe que tu étais malade hier matin." (Hello, Mr. Beaufort. Katrina told me that you were sick yesterday morning.)

"C'est vrai," said Joe, "mais je me sens vraiment mieux aujourd'hui." (It's true, but I feel much better today.)

"Bon," said Mme. Larousse, preparing to start the conference.

Chapter Text

It was a brisk November day. Pierce was updating the records after today's most recent match.

Great Tiger: 20 - 3
Glass Joe: 1 - 78

He shook his head. Joe isn't gonna give up until his body gives out, is he? I mean, how long does he really have before all those knocks to the head catch up with him?

His train of thought was cut off when the fresh-faced new bouncer rushed over to him. "Mr. Pierce, sir," he said in a squeaky voice, "I think someone on our banned list is in the building."

Pierce leaned in. "What happened?"

"I dunno, I let this older blonde in earlier; I didn't get a good look at her daughter then, but I just saw her now, and she's a dead ringer."

As if the bouncer had spoken a summoning spell, a woman came around the corner. Pierce took a quick glance at her and took in her appearance; slick blonde hair, ice blue eyes, and looking angry. Yup; that was Laura Sanders.

He looked over his shoulder, and couldn't see Joe or Katrina anywhere. Hoping he could deal with the situation without getting them involved, he went over to Laura. "Ma'am, you can't be here."

"I'm just looking for my niece," said Laura, playing innocent, "she's wandered off somewhere."

"Ma'am, you cannot be on these premises," said Pierce firmly, "you need to leave."

"Why are you keeping my niece away from me?" Laura asked in an accusatory tone.

Just then, Joe, Katrina, and Great Tiger emerged from the lounge. Joe felt his heart go cold when he saw Laura.

"You!" Laura shouted when she saw Joe. "You killed my sister! You killed my sister!"

Pierce held her back before she could make a run at him, and Great Tiger grabbed both Beauforts and teleported them to the children's room.

"वह सब किसके बारे में था?" Great Tiger asked once he had barricaded the door. (What was that all about?)

"Je ne sais pas," said Joe, "mais elle ne peut pas être ici, et elle ne peut pas avoir Katrina." (I don't know, but she can't be here, and she can't have Katrina.)

"वह आपकी बेटी को क्यों चाहती है?" (Why does she want your daughter?)

Joe sighed. "Elle est sa tante sur la côte de sa mere. Elle veut la garde seule." (She's her aunt on her mother's side of the family. She wants sole custody.)

Katrina clung to her father. "Why does she think you killed my mom?"

Joe simply hugged his daughter. "Je ne sais pas, ma belle." (I don't know, darling.)

After a few minutes, Pierce came knocking at the door. "She's gone."

The three emerged from the children's room. The Beauforts went to the front of the building. Voices were coming from an office; Joe presumed they were questioning Laura. And sitting on a bench was an older blonde woman; the one the bouncer had spoken about. She looked crestfallen, as if today was the worst day of her life. She looked up when she heard their footsteps, and gazed at them. "Is this Katrina?"

"Oui," said Joe, shielding her with his arm. "Qui es-tu?" (Yes. Who are you?)

The woman extended an arm. "Louise Sanders. I…I'm so sorry for the ruckus Laura caused."

Joe cautiously shook her hand and sat down on the bench next to her. "Qu'est-ce qui se passe?" (What happened?)

Louise sighed, and relayed her story. "Well, Laura told me she wanted to come here and see Heather's daughter. I thought it would be nice, but..." Her voice trailed off; she didn't need to explain that this situation was decidedly not nice.

Joe was surprised to finally meet Heather's mother, and Katrina’s maternal grandmother. "Madame...pourquoi que tu et ta famille s'abandonner Heathet?" (Madam...why did you and your family abandon Heather?)

"Heather wasn't quite as ambitious as the rest of us. I tried to convince her to reach for the stars and use her full potential, but it just wasn't what she wanted. When she left, Laura and my husband insisted we cut her out." Louise began to tear up. "It was either her or them, and I couldn't bear to lose the rest of my family. And now…"

She burst into tears. "I'm never gonna be able to tell my baby I was sorry and that I loved her!"

Joe put an arm around Louise to soothe her. Once she stopped crying, Joe offered "Veux-tu rester avec nous cette nuit?" (Do you want to stay with us tonight?)

Louise sniffed. "I'd like that."

That night, Joe brought Louise home with him and Katrina. After he had put some water on to boil for pasta, he looked through a box of photos and pulled out Heather's obituary to show her.

"Heather Sanders (May 29, 1984 - November 8th, 2008)
Heather Miriam Sanders passed away on November 8th after a four month struggle with a blood infection following birth complications. A carefree, loyal woman, she brought light to the lives of everyone she knew, and will be sorely missed. She is survived by her daughter, Katrina."

"Birth complications," mused Louise. "So that's why Laura says you killed her."

Joe and Katrina looked at each other. They both felt guilty now that that realization had hit them.

Louise shook her head. "I'm just happy you're letting me meet my granddaughter." She kissed Katrina's forehead.

Joe sighed and went to put the pasta on while Louise continued to talk to Katrina. "It wasn't anyone's fault, baby. Nobody knew it would happen, and being born ain't anyone's fault; especially not yours."

Katrina said nothing; she simply leaned on her grandmother's shoulder.

Very early the next morning - 5:49 am, to be exact - every boxer in the league was woken up by an emergency alert on their phones.

"MISSING: Katrina Sanders, white female with auburn hair and brown eyes, 11 years old. Last seen at 7:08 pm last night wearing a blue shirt and pink pants. Alleged abductors are a white male with red hair and brown eyes and a white female with blonde hair and blue eyes."

Concerned, they all opened up their group chat.

sexymachobeast69 sent: wtf? (5:50 am)

hondo1994 sent: ? (5:50 am)

the_boss31 sent: tf is going on? (5:51 am)

bethskies sent: wait Katrina's surname isn't Sanders (5:51 am)

the_boss31 sent: something ain't right here (5:52 am)

tigerclaw sent: यो क्या वे यह कहने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं कि जो ने अपने ही बच्चे का अपहरण कर लिया? (yo are they trying to say joe kidnapped his own kid?) (5:52 am)

viktorsieg sent: wo ist joseph??? (where is joseph???) (5:53 am)

sexymachobeast69 sent: i think crazy bitch is up to something (5:53 am)

hondo1994 replied to sexymachobeast69's message: 人々を狂った愚痴と呼ぶのはいいことではありません。(It's not nice to call people crazy bitches.) (5:54 am)

carebear sent: Did we not tell you about Laura (5:54 am)

hondo1994 sent: いいえ。(No.) (5:55 am)

the_boss31 sent: that woman who tried to kidnap katrina (5:55 am)

bethskies sent: we better go check on them. I'll get Barney and Amar (5:56 am)

the_boss31 sent: and i'll get brad and riki (5:56 am)

carebear sent: Wait what about Soda and Bahadir (5:57 am)

bethskies sent: i'll send them to check/guard the arena (5:57 am)

tigerclaw sent: विक्टर आप उनके लिए शहर को परिमार्जन करें (viktor you go scour the town for them) (5:58 am)

Louise was asleep on the couch when she awoke to loud banging on the door. "Open this door and give my daughter back, you piece of crap!"

Louise looked out the window. There was Laura slamming her hand on the door. In the driveway was her car, and a police vehicle. Dear God, thought Louise, my own daughter's trying to have us arrested!

By then, both Joe and Katrina had heard the racket and were coming down the stairs. Louise turned to Joe. "Joseph, darling, you need to get your ID and Katrina's birth certificate. The cops are at the door. Katrina, you run and lock yourself in the bathroom and don't come out until your father and I say it's safe. I'll keep them busy."

"This is the city police department. Will all adults in the building come outside with their hands up and the child surrendered."

As Joe went to get his valuable documents, Louise opened the door with her hands raised. "Ma'am, you're under arrest for the kidnapping of Katrina Sanders," said a dark-eyed cop.

"Before you do, you need the whole story," said Louise, stonefaced. "The girl's surname is Beaufort, not Sanders, and she is not this woman's daughter."

"Ms. Sanders came to us this morning claiming that you and another suspect took the child from her home last night," said a redheaded cop.

"That is false," said Louise, giving Laura a death glare. "Katrina lives here. I am her grandmother, and this 'other suspect' you speak of is her father."

"She's lying," insisted Laura, "they took my baby! She has no father!"

"Tu ne crois pas nous? Lire ces documents," said Joe, emerging from the kitchen. (You don't believe us? Read these documents.) He handed the cops his ID and Katrina's birth certificate, as well as a copy of the restraining order. He thanked his lucky stars that the doctors had reissued a birth certificate with Katrina's corrected surname as he raised his hands.

The dark-eyed cop read the ID and birth certificate.

Joseph Luc Beaufort
DOB: September 18th, 1984
Sex: M
Eyes: Brown

"This certificate is to welcome the birth of Katrina Melody Beaufort, born on July 7th, 2008 at 7:39 pm weighing 9 lbs 1 oz to Heather Sanders and Joseph Beaufort."

In the meantime, the redheaded cop read the restraining order. "Ma'am, this document says you are not allowed to have any contact with this man or his daughter," said the redheaded cop to Laura.

"What?" Laura tried to take the restraining order, but the redheaded cop stopped her.

"This document certifies that Laura Sanders is not to have any contact with Joseph et Katrina Beaufort. This includes but is not limited to: entering their residence, following them, contacting them via phone, email, or social media. Intentional violation will result in an arrest."

Laura was simply stunned. Joe was keeping Katrina, and her own mother had sold her out?! Before she could react, two cars pulled over on the side of the road. From them stepped five tall, muscular men and one tall, muscular woman. "End of the line," said the tallest of them all, evidently their leader.

"Xander!" Joe was intensely grateful for his colleagues arriving to back him up.

As the redheaded cop handcuffed Laura, the dark-eyed cop approached Mr. Sandman. "Who are you?"

"Xander Whittier, Major Circuit champion," said Mr. Sandman. "We all work with Joe, and we know the kid is his."

The dark-eyed cop shook his head. "I need all of you to identify yourselves and confirm your status."

"マイナーサーキットチャンピオンの小林力希," said Piston Hondo. "彼は無実です。" (Riki Kobayashi, Minor Circuit champion. He's innocent.)

"Beth McCauldy, first in the Major Circuit," said Flying Feather. "You can't tell me Katrina doesn't have her father's eyes."

"मेजर सर्किट में दूसरे नंबर पर अमर खान," said Great Tiger. "यूसुफ एक मक्खी को चोट नहीं पहुँचाएगा, भले ही वह उसे काट ले।" (Amar Khan, second in the Major Circuit. Joseph wouldn't hurt a fly even if it bit him.)

"Barnaby Forrester, first in the Minor Circuit," said Bear Hugger. "I ain't even met a man who loves his kid more than Joe loves his daughter."

"Brad Cash, World Circuit champion," said Super Macho Man, "and if Nutcase over there doesn't get the hell outta here, we're gonna have a problem."

"No need," said the redheaded cop, "Laura Sanders, you're under arrest for violating restraining orders, attempted kidnapping, and falsifying information to an officer."

"You can't do this!" Laura shrieked. "You can't take my baby!"

"She's been proven to not be your daughter," said the redheaded cop. "Time to go."

"Hold on," said Louise, "may I see the restraining order?"

"Why do you need it?" The dark-eyed cop asked.

"I'd like my name added to it," said Louise, with a cold bite of venom in her tone.

"If you come to the government building later today, we can revise the order," said the dark-eyed cop. "In the meantime, we're taking your accuser to the station."

Louise watched emotionlessly as the cruiser drove away. "Well," she said. "I suppose I don't have any children now."

Joe went upstairs to get Katrina out of hiding. "C'est sur maintenant, ma belle." (It's safe now, darling.) He took her outside to the front yard, where Louise and the other boxers were. They were happy to see her safe.

"MISSING: False alert. Girl's name is Katrina Beaufort and was found safe with her family. Reporter has been detained for filing a false case."

Once Flying Feather had gone back to the arena to get Soda Popinski and Bald Bull, the league went to get some breakfast at an early-hour diner. "Значит, она все время была в безопасности?" (So she was safe all along?)

"Yup," said Flying Feather, munching on a waffle. "Her bitch aunt went to the cops saying she was her daughter and that Joey boy kidnapped her."

"Aptal kadın," said Bald Bull. "Katrina aynı ona benziyor, neden bunun işe yarayacağını düşünsün ki?" (Stupid woman. Katrina looks just like him, why would she think that would work?)

As the other boxers joined in on the bashing, Joe cut up some strawberries for Katrina, Louise, and his waffles. "Joey, I'm mighty proud of everything you've done for my grandbaby," said Louise. "You had so many chances to walk away, and you still chose her."

"Elle est ma fille," said Joe. "Je suis responsable d'elle. Je ne peux jamais m'abandonner." (She's my daughter. I'm responsible for her. I could never surrender her.) He divided up the strawberry slices between the three of them.

Just then, Von Kaiser came in, looking out of breath. He lit up when he saw Joe and Katrina. He slid into the booth, hugged Katrina, and kissed his boyfriend. "Ich bin froh, dass Sie beide in Sicherheit sind." (I'm happy you're both safe.)

"Moi aussi," said Joe. "Je ne veux jamais perdre la fille la plus précieuse de ma vie." (Me too. I never want to lose the most precious girl in my life.) He held his daughter close and kissed her forehead.

Chapter Text

A week had passed since Laura's stunt with the cops, and now everyone was prepared to testify in court against her.

"The floor recognizes Joseph Beaufort."

Joe stood in front of the courtroom and took a deep breath. "Katrina était placée en garde de moi quand elle avait quatre mois, après la mort de sa mère. J'ai pris soin d'elle depuis ce jour. Elle est vraiment heureuse avec moi, et je ne peux pas vivre sans elle." (Katrina was placed in my custody when she was four months old, after the death of her mother. I've taken care of her since that day. She's very happy with me, and I can't live without her.)

"So, Joseph," said Laura's lawyer, "are you aware of the circumstances of the death of Heather Sanders?"

"Elle meurt à cause des complications de l'accouchement," said Joe. "Laura a essayé de déclarer que j'ai tué-elle, mais ce n'était pas ma faute." (She died from childbirth complications. Laura tries to claim that I killed her, but it wasn't my fault.)

"Now, Joseph, if this is true, no one will be blaming you for something you had no control over," said the judge.

"So, Ms. Laurence," said Joe's lawyer to Laura's lawyer, "how did your client describe the death to you?"

Ms. Laurence shifted in her seat. "She told me that Joseph beat Heather to death in her home, took the child, and made up the childbirth story to cover up the crime."

The judge tapped his mallet. "The floor recognizes Katrina Beaufort."

Katrina marched up to the stand and looked the judge directly in the eyes. "Let me get this straight right now; if you take me away from my dad and make me live with Laura, I will hit her and run away every day until you put me back."

"Miss Beaufort, please remain civil," said the judge. "Describe to us any previous incidents with your aunt."

"When I was eight, she tried to take me away by separating me from Dad and trying to make a run for it," said Katrina. "I screamed until someone came to help me, and then I found Dad and we left."

"Have you had any other encounters before or after?"

"It was only my second day knowing her," continued Katrina. "She came to our house and was super rude to Dad. After the thing at the mall, Dad filed a restraining order and I haven't seen her until last week."

"It's clear that the child doesn't want her custody changed," said Joe's lawyer.

"She may not," said Ms. Laurence, "but it would be downright irresponsible to leave her with a potentially dangerous person."

"Let's see what the witnesses have to say about it," said the judge. "The floor recognizes Dr. Luanne Pearson."

Joe was surprised to see the doctor who gave him Katrina so long ago. Her face was slightly more creased, and there was a slight sliver of gray in her braids. She took the stand. "I was Heather's main caregiver during and after her giving birth. She lost a lot of blood during the delivery, and we had to end with an emergency cesarean birth. Afterwards, her body never truly recovered, and eventually, she just gave out." She also presented the judge with the medical records.

"I've never seen this woman in my life," said Laura as the judge read the records, "how do you know she's legitimate?"

"Hold on," said Ms. Laurence, "you claimed to me that you were by your sister's side in the hospital before she died. If you were, then how don't you recognize her doctor?"

"Furthermore," said Joe's lawyer, "if we're to believe that my client beat your sister to death in her home, then there would have been no need to take her to the hospital, as they would have easily declared a DOA."

"Order, please," said the judge, tapping his mallet. "We're moving on to the next witness. The floor recognizes Pierce Adamson."

Pierce took the stand with a "let's get this over with" look on his face. "I've worked with Joseph for over a decade, and I can tell you with full certainty that the story about him beating a woman to death is a crock o' crap."

"Please speak respectfully in the courtroom," said the judge.

Pierce nodded, and continued. "See, Joseph's been at the bottom of the Minor Circuit for as long as he's been in our organization. I've refereed every fight he's been in, and his punches are certainly not strong enough to cause such serious injury."

"How do you know he didn't have a weapon?" Laura asked.

Pierce scoffed. "Joe struggles to pick up barbells, let alone bludgeoning weapons. Even if he did have a weapon, the cops likely would have found it during the investigation and we wouldn't even be here."

"Can you elaborate on that claim?" Ms. Laurence asked.

"Okay," said Pierce. "If Joe had used any sort of weapon to murder Heather, it's likely to have a trace of his DNA of it. Fingerprints, sweat, maybe a stray hair, what have you. If it wasn't left at the scene of the crime, then it would have been on his person. As the father of Heather's child who now would have custody, he would be the primary suspect. During the investigation, they would have scoured both Heather's home and his, and unless he had the foresight to destroy or otherwise dispose of the weapon, they would have found it, arrested him, locked him up, and your client would have custody."

"Thank you, Pierce," said the judge. "The floor recognizes Louise Sanders."

"Ca c'était impressif," whispered Joe to Pierce when he stepped down. (That was impressive.)

"What can I say," said Pierce, "I watch a lot of law shows."

Louise took the stand. "None of my family knew about Heather's death until years after the fact," she said coldly. "They had cut her off from the family when she left for college."

"Why didn't you try and contact her all those years?" Ms. Laurence asked.

Louise sighed. "I was scared. Scared of losing them, and scared of having no one left. If I could go back and change things, I would have taken Heather's side."

Ms. Laurence looked up at Joe's lawyer. "Mr. McMullan, my client claimed that both of their parents cut them off and threw them out when they found out Heather was pregnant."

The judge turned to Louise. "What happened, ma'am?"

Louise looked like she wanted to cry. "I never knew about it," she cried, "and if I did, I would have been with her every step of the way." She rubbed her eyes. "Maybe if I was there, things would have been different."

"Now, Mrs. Sanders," said the judge, "let's not dwell on the past; we can't change it." He tapped his mallet. "The floor recognizes Xander Whittier."

Mr. Sandman stepped up. "Alright, so we all got an emergency alert that morning saying that Katrina was missing. We all took one look at it and knew something wasn't right. See, Pierce had warned us that we had to keep Laura away from Katrina at all costs, and we all knew she was up to something. When we got there, they were already cuffin' Laura, so our testimonies were pretty much just icing on the cake."

"That man and his gang threatened to beat me!" Laura shouted.

Ms. Laurence gave Mr. Sandman a look. "Is this true?"

"We never said we were gonna do anything to her," said Mr. Sandman. "The most I can think of is Brad saying we were gonna have a problem if she didn't leave."

The judge nodded, and turned to the jury. "The defendant has pleaded not guilty, but every witness claims otherwise. Has the jury reached a final verdict?"

A blond man - the same blond man who helped Katrina, Joe noted - stood up. "Yes," he said. "We find defendant Laura Sanders…"

The entire room fell silent. Joe felt his heart beating painfully fast. He felt as if he might faint.

"...Guilty."

"Motion carried," said the judge. "With the power vested in me, I declare Laura Sanders to be guilty on the charge of attempted kidnapping, harassment, and breaking a restraining order. She will be sentenced to a 700$ fine, 200 hours of community service, and one month of probation upon completion of the community service. In addition, the restraining order will be reinstated, and any further violations will result in instant jail time."

Joe breathed a sigh of relief. He was going to keep his daughter. He put an arm around her as they walked out of the courthouse.

Mr. Sandman gave Joe a pat on the back once they got outside. "You're a good man, Joey," he said. "Now you go home and appreciate the crap outta that kid."

Joe couldn't help it; he hugged Mr. Sandman. He was incredibly grateful for his and the others' help. And with that, he and Katrina got into the car to go home, where they would be safe at last.

Chapter Text

D'accord. C'est le janvier 1; une nouvelle année. Mon but: faire ma demande de mariage à Viktor. (Alright. It's January 1st; a new year. My goal: ask Viktor to marry me.)

Joe had been able to get a modest set of silver bands with his Christmas bonus, and so he felt he was finally ready to ask.

He made sure to send a picture of the bands to everyone in the league (except for Von Kaiser, of course) to get their opinions on how and when to pop it. They agreed that tonight's get-together was perfect.

Alright. No more stalling. This is it. The moment of truth.

That night, everyone was gathered together in the WVBA arena for the first time in the new year. They were happy to chat, share drinks, and catch up.

Once everyone had arrived, Pierce brought forward a large woman in a velvety green dress; a bit too formal an outfit for such a casual occasion. "Fellas," said Pierce, "this is Lulu, the king of Hippo Island. She's our first new boxer of the year, and I expect you to make her feel welcome."

King Hippo looked at everyone. They all looked so short. Nevertheless, they were kind, and that was what mattered.

Joe anxiously looked at the time. Seven o'clock was ticking closer with every second. Was he really ready for this? This was going to be the most important question he'd ever asked in his life.

And what if Von Kaiser said no?

Joe shook his head. He and Von Kaiser had been in each other's lives for so long, and they loved each other with a passion. The chances of him turning down the proposal were slim, if they were even there at all.

He snapped back into reality when he realized King Hippo was standing over him. "Bonjour," he said awkwardly, brushing a tuft of hair from his face. "Peux-je t'aider?" (Hello. Can I help you?)

King Hippo simply cocked her head at the lanky redhead. Joe figured she must be wondering what was going through his head. He looked to make sure Von Kaiser wasn't listening, then leaned in. "Je demanderais à Viktor de me marier aujourd'hui." (I'm asking Viktor to marry me today.)

King Hippo picked Joe up and squeezed him. She was quite happy for him. Joe chuckled. "Oui, je suis excité aussi." (Yes, I'm excited too.)

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Just two minutes until seven. Joe willed his heart to stop racing so fast. He didn't want to pass out at the moment of truth.

There was Von Kaiser, chatting with Bear Hugger and Flying Feather, completely unaware of what Joe was about to do.

He couldn't stand it anymore; he got up and went over to talk to him. "Viktor?"

Von Kaiser turned around. "Was ist los?" (What's up?)

"J'ai…" Joe wrung his hands. "J'ai une question pour toi." (I…I have a question for you.)

"Was ist deine Frage?" (What's your question?)

Oh god. Joe felt his heart squeeze. He couldn't do this! It was too soon! He wasn't ready!

"Joseph, du siehst ängstlich aus, geht es dir gut?" (Joseph, you look anxious, are you alright?)

Now or never. Now or never. At the exact stroke of seven, Joe dropped to his knee and presented Von Kaiser with the box.

"Veux-tu m'épouser?!" (Will you marry me?!)

Marriage?! But of course! Why, Joe had to ask that eventually! Why didn't he see it coming?

"Ja!"

Von Kaiser lifted Joe into his arms and the two of them kissed as the room exploded into whoops and cheers. Katrina ran to her father and soon-to-be-stepfather, and they both pulled her into their arms. "I love you, daddy! I love you, vati!"

"Je t'adore aussi, ma belle fleur!" (I love you too, my flower girl!) The two of them held their daughter up.

This was it! They were going to get married! This was the best day ever!

Look out, world, here comes a new family unit!

Chapter Text

January is a time for new beginnings, and turning everything around. And that was certainly on the table for one Louise Sanders. She had just picked up her Certificate of Divorce that morning, and to clear her head, she was on her way to visit family for breakfast.

Knock knock. Louise waited for a moment before Joe came to the door. "Hi, Joey. I brought donuts."

"Ah, Louise, quelle bonne surprise." (Ah, Louise, what a nice surprise.) Joe ran his fingers through his hair, and that's when his engagement ring caught Louise's eye.

Louise's eyes widened. "Joey, you didn't!"

Joe chuckled. "Oui, c'est vrai." (Yes, it's true.) He brought Louise inside to the kitchen, where Von Kaiser and Katrina were eating their eggs. Louise crowed with joy to find a matching ring on Von Kaiser's finger.

"So, what brings you here, Nana?" Katrina asked.

Louise huffed a bit. "I just finalized my divorce."

The mood became a bit damper. "Oh, Louise, es tut mir leid, das zu hören." (Oh, Louise, I'm sorry to hear that.)

"Don't be," said Louise. "Henry's the reason my life went so wrong. With him gone, I can make it right."

Joe froze in his tracks for a moment. "Dad, are you okay?" Katrina asked, tilting her head a bit.

Joe put a fist on his chest and swallowed. "Mon père était nommé Henri." (My father was named Henri.)

"Oh, honey…" Louise slid into the empty fourth chair. "Neither of them are ever gonna hurt us again. Promise."

She put her hand over his. "You were never with my Heather, but you're still the best son-in-law I could ask for."

Joe smiled, and the two pressed their foreheads together.

In the afternoon, after Louise had gone home and Joe had gone in for a last-minute fight at work, Von Kaiser took Katrina out to Rogueport Ribs for lunch to bond with her. He was going to be her stepfather soon, so might as well start now.

"Vati, why did you fall in love with Dad?"

Von Kaiser paused. That was a rather heavy question. "Nun, es machte einfach Sinn für mich." He thought of all his nice memories with Joe. "Wir waren viele Jahre lang so gute Freunde; es war vollkommen logisch, dass Joseph tiefere Gefühle entwickeln würde." (Well, it just made sense to me. We had been such good friends for many years; it was perfectly logical that Joseph would develop deeper feelings.)

Katrina ate another fry. "Did you know you loved him before he told you?"

"Um die Wahrheit zu sagen, nein. Ich glaube nicht, dass ich es endlich realisiert habe, bis dein Vater es mir gestanden hat." (To tell you the truth, no. I don't think I realised it until your father confessed to me.)

Katrina cocked her head. "Do you want to marry him?"

Now Von Kaiser understood. "Ich verstehe es; Sie machen sich Sorgen, dass Ihr Vater und ich nicht die richtige Entscheidung treffen." (I get it; you're worried your father and I aren't making the right decision.) He put his hand over hers; he had never noticed how tiny Katrina's hands were before. "Wenn ich nicht sicher gewesen wäre, dass ich ihn heiraten wollte, hätte ich nicht ja gesagt." (If I wasn't certain I wanted to marry him, I wouldn't have said yes.)

Katrina seemed satisfied with that answer, so Von Kaiser continued. "Ich liebe deinen Vater. Und ich liebe dich und deine ganze Familie. Und ich liebe Sie und Ihre beiden Familien. Und daran wird sich nichts ändern." (I love your father. And I love you, and all of your family. And nothing will change that.)

"That's good," said Katrina, taking a napkin to wipe a glob of ketchup off her Gumball shirt.

That evening, Louise swung by a restaurant for a bite; she didn't quite feel like cooking. "What can I get for ya?" Judy had her notepad open, ready to take Louise's order.

"A mild wing basket with fries and a Coke," said Louise, a little tired.

When her order came, Judy still remained at the table; it was a very slow night. "I don't think I've seen you around here before."

"I came up to visit my granddaughter." Louise bit into a wing.

"Oh, that's nice," said Judy, "how did that go?"

"It was nice," said Louise. "It felt refreshing to be with my extended family for the first time after my divorce."

"Oh, honey," said Judy, "what happened?"

Louise shook her head. "I was just sick of it. He pushed my oldest daughter away and turned my youngest against me. I needed a fresh start and a way out."

Judy looked very sympathetic to Louise. Louise shook her head, and ate her meal quietly. When Judy came back with a check, she left Louise a complimentary piece of chocolate mousse cake. Louise smiled, and in turn left Judy a very generous tip.

So here she goes; her first complete day as the new Louise Sanders. She was feeling pretty good about herself; no more Henry, and no more Laura. She felt like a huge weight had fallen off her shoulders. She got into her car and drove home to her new cottage, nestled not far from town, so she would be able to visit her new family whenever she pleased.

Chapter Text

The void is dark blue, just a skip above black, and weightless.

At least, it was for a moment. Joe found himself standing in a room. He looked around, and realised that he was standing in his old apartment. It looked nearly exactly the same as it did when he moved out. And on the bed was another one of him; just a decade younger.

He saw the phone ring, and not-him picked up. Joe recognized this; this was the night he met his daughter!

…Except, not-him didn't react the same way. He simply kept his aloof, almost-angry expression, and hung up the phone before the nurse had even finished speaking.

Joe's heart went cold. This was his worst nightmare; turning out just like his father.

He squeezed his eyes shut. S'il vous plaît me dire que Katrina est ça va, he thought. (Please tell me Katrina is okay.)

And when he opened his eyes, there she was. Except it wasn't at their house. Rather, Katrina was living in a nice little bungalow, with Lizzie and Marlowe.

A light caught his eye, and he looked towards the window. It was a police car. Fear struck his heart again. He knew exactly what was going to happen.

Just as he suspected, there was Laura, shouting and hurling abuse at the two, while the cops cuffed them and took Katrina to Laura's car. Joe couldn't believe the slurs he was hearing come from her mouth. He covered his ears, not wanting to hear anymore of the hate. A small part of him was suddenly grateful that Von Kaiser was not around when Laura did the same to him.

He jumped forward towards Katrina and tried to grab her, to scoop her up and hold her tighter than he ever had before. But he couldn't. He phased right through her, and found himself on the floor of the arena.

He picked himself up and looked around. Everything looked completely normal. He could see Flying Feather, and Mr. Sandman talking while leaning against the wall. And there was Pierce, filling out some paperwork.

And then he saw him.

Well, not-him, but still him. He looked much different; stronger, for one. His hair was buzzed, and he was dressed in black with twinges of blood red. He scared himself.

Not-him passed by Von Kaiser and Great Tiger, who noticeably tensed up when they saw him. "Äh, hallo, Bas," said Von Kaiser, looking fearful. "Ich, äh, sprach gerade von meinem wunden Hals." (Uh, hello, Bas. I, uh, was just talking about my sore neck.)

Not-him (eh, Bas) glared. "Tu vas savoir tout à propos de ça, n'est pas Viktor?" (You would know all about that, wouldn't you, Viktor?) His lips curled into a devilish smile as he stalked off.

Joe was appalled. He would never say that to anyone, let alone his fiance! And why were they calling him Bas? Well, that question was answered when a poster on the wall caught his eye: Von Kaiser vs. Iron Bastille, today at 3 pm.

Before he knew it, he was back in the apartment. And there was Iron Bastille, sitting on his bed, looking at his phone. Joe was suddenly overcome with rage and hatred for this man. He took a firm stance in front of him. "J'espere que tu es content." (I hope you're happy.)

Iron Bastille looked up. He looked at least mildly disturbed to see another of him standing before him. "Qu'est-ce que tu veux?" (What do you want?)

"Tu es exactement comme ton père," Joe spat. "Il y a une petite fille dans ce monde qui a grandi sans son père à cause de ton propre égoïsme." (You're exactly like your father. There's a little girl in this world who's growing up without her father because of your own selfishness.)

"Tu ne sais pas ça," snarled Iron Bastille. "Elle n'est pas mon." (You don't know that. She's not mine.)

"Elle est," said Joe, "et tu vas savoir si tu prendras le test de DNA." (She is, and you would know that if you took the DNA test.)

Iron Bastille stood up. "Ma vie est parfaite exactement comme ceci. Pourquoi veux-tu gâcher ça?" (My life is perfect exactly like this. Why do you want to ruin that?)

Overcome with anger, Joe slapped Iron Bastille across the face. "Parce que je ne suis pas un lâche et j'ai un peu d'empathie dans mon corps!" (Because I'm not a coward and I have a bit of empathy in my body!)

Iron Bastille's face went red. He tried to attack Joe, but he phased right through him. "Tu ne peux pas m'attaquer," said Joe in a smug tone as Iron Bastille continued to swing at him, "parce que je suis vrai et tu n'es pas. J'ai une belle maison, et une belle famille. Ca m'est égal qu'est-ce qui se passe a toi, parce que tu n'es pas vrai, et je ne vais jamais descendre entre toi!" (You can't hurt me, because I'm real and you're not. I have a nice house, and a beautiful family. I don't care what happens to you, because you're not real, and I'll never turn into you!)

And with that, Joe found himself waking up, back in his bed, in his nice house. He looked up and around, and remembered that today was Saturday, which meant Katrina wouldn't be in school today. Looking and seeing the rose that Von Kaiser had given them on their Valentine's date last night, he realised that today was Family Day. Joe got out of bed and went into her room to snuggle her good morning. "Dad," cooed Katrina, half-giggling, half-groaning, "no one wakes up at seven o'clock on a Saturday."

"Je sais, ma belle," said Joe, "mais j'ai juste avoir un rêve ou tu n'étais pas ici. J'ai besoin d'assurer que tu es apprécié." (I know, sweetie, but I just had a dream where you weren't here. I need to make sure that you're appreciated.) He corralled her downstairs to have a waffle breakfast.

Chapter Text

Another day of school was over, and Katrina was on the bus, heading home, when suddenly the bus slowed down and stopped.

She looked up over her seat, and saw a lineup of cars ahead through Cindy's front window. Traffic jam. Great. They were probably going to be stuck for a while.

"So did you hear that Janet Bernard is going out with Jackson Rivers now?" Claire asked.

"No," said Katrina. "Good for them." She pulled out her phone to text her father.

Katrina sent: We're stuck in traffic (3:04 pm)

At home, Joe was starting to get a little anxious. Katrina's school got out at three o'clock, and her bus always dropped her off at the end of the driveway at 3:10 pm. But today, they weren't there.

They probably just got stuck in traffic. No need to worry. He tried to distract himself by browsing through the pantry, trying to decide on something to make for dinner.

…But then, he hadn't gotten any messages from her.

No, of course not, his phone was dead. He looked at a few cans of soup; chicken, vegetable, tomato...

…So how could she reach him in case there was an emergency?

Oh god. What if she was in trouble?! His phone wouldn't be charged enough to use for another few minutes.

His heart surged and ached as he stumbled back onto the couch. What if it was already too late?! What if she was hurt?!

What if Katrina was never coming home?

He smacked his forehead, trying to snap himself out of Anxiety Brain mode. Traffic exists, and that was most likely where his daughter was.

...Right?

Katrina wrung her hands. They'd been stuck in traffic for a while now. Surely Dad was worried about her?

"I heard that Kira Yang started a fantasy book blog," said Claire in a disdainful tone. "Can you believe her? We had a book report on The Sisters Grimm in October, and now it's her whole life."

Uncomfortable and not wanting to continue that conversation, Katrina turned around to Reese Williams. "How long do you think we're gonna be here?"

"Who knows?" Reese shrugged. "There are cars everywhere."

"Daisy's lucky," said Claire as Katrina sat back down. "She doesn't have to take the bus at all."

Katrina sighed and looked back out the window. "Dad's probably gonna be upset with me for being late."

"Are you kidding?" Claire asked. "Your dad practically worships the ground you walk on. If anything, he's probably in a conniption because his little princess isn't home exactly on time."

Katrina was taken aback. She had never heard Claire say that about anyone, much less Dad. She mumbled a small "okay" and looked at the ground. Is that what Claire really thought about Dad?

Finally, finally, the bus made it through to home. Katrina scrambled out and ran down the driveway.

"Dad!" Katrina hung her coat and bookbag. "Dad, my bus was late, there's so much traffic, I-"

Katrina entered the living room, where she found her father pacing around the kitchen in endless circles, mumbling to himself. His eyes looked like they would pop out of his head.

"Dad?"

Joe looked up, and all that fear in his eyes melted when he saw his daughter.

"Katrina."

Katrina went to her father's side. "What's wrong?"

Joe pulled his daughter in close and held her. "Tu étais tellement tard, et j'avais peur que quelque chose se passe." (You were so late, and I was afraid something had happened.)

"Dad," said Katrina, "if something did happen, Cindy would have radioed the school, and they would have sent an email out."

Joe admittedly felt a little silly. He had been so worked up over something so small. But, you know, he couldn't help it. He loved his daughter, and he would never forgive himself if something happened to her and he couldn't do anything to help her.

"Dad, you have to trust Cindy," said Katrina.

"Je sais, mais…" Joe sighed. "Cette année de l'école c'était difficile pour moi, parce que tu n'es pas encore seulement dix minutes loin." He looked down for a moment, then back up at Katrina. "J'suppose qu'il y a un partie de moi qui va jamais accepter que tu n'es pas un petite fille non plus." (I know, but…this school year has been hard for me, because you're not just ten minutes away anymore. I guess there's a part of me that will never accept that you're not a little girl anymore.)

Katrina averted her eyes and hung her head. She would love to be back in kindergarten, where the only thing that mattered to her was whether or not today was a Storytime day or a Block Tower day. But that just simply wasn't how time worked.

Joe sighed and picked up his phone, which was now charged. He had to distract himself somehow; whether he liked it or not, Katrina was in middle school now. There were going to be days where she wasn't home right on time, and worrying so much wasn't going to change that.

A few hours later, it was dinnertime. Since neither Joe nor Katrina were in cooking moods, they had ordered a pizza.

"Dad…" Katrina sighed as she picked all the toppings off her pizza. "I don't think Claire is really my friend anymore."

Joe looked up from his food. "Pourquoi, qu'est ce qui se passe?" (Why, what happened?)

Katrina relayed to him the comment Claire had made. Joe was appalled, and quite frankly, a little offended. Claire has said that? Of course he loved his daughter, and he was very worried when she didn't come home; what was wrong with that? "Katrina, ca c'était tellement impoli pour Claire a déclaré." (Katrina, that was very rude of Claire to say.)

"I know," griped Katrina. "And she's been saying a lot more of that stuff recently. It's like a judgmental switch went off in her brain."

"Eh bien," said Joe firmly, "je pense que Claire ne va pas être invitée ici pour quelque temps." (Well. I don't think Claire is getting invited over for some time.)

He had expected Katrina to be upset over that, but instead, she just looked accepting. "Fine. I think Annie deserves my attention more, anyway."

Joe sighed contently, and finished off his slice of green pepper pizza.

Chapter Text

It was a warm March 28th. All the snow had melted, and some wildflowers were starting to poke their heads out from the grass, which was starting to get its lovely shade of green back. "Happy fifteen years," Mr. Carmichael said softly to his wife as they woke up. He kissed her cheek.

"Oh, honey, you're so sweet," said Mrs. Carmichael.

When they went into the kitchen for breakfast, they found that Annie had set the table with plates of chocolate-chip Eggo waffles with blueberries sprinkled on top, sliced strawberries on the side, and coffee with brown sugar and chocolate milk to drink. "Oh, cupcake, this is wonderful!" Mrs. Carmichael kissed her daughter's forehead before the three of them sat down to eat.

"So what are you two gonna do today?" Annie asked.

"We didn't have anything planned, really," said Mr. Carmichael. "We figured we were gonna let the perfect idea come to us, but we still don't have any ideas."

"Well," said Annie, "Kira texted me saying her parents and some other families had something nice planned for this evening."

Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael looked at each other. Why, that was nice of them! "Where is it?"

"Down at the burger joint," said Annie. "It's a surprise."

That evening, when dinner time rolled around, the Carmichael family went down to the burger joint for their surprise. When they arrived, they found two tables occupied by the Yangs, the Beauforts, the Bernards, and the Riverses. Annie went to sit with the other kids, while Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael were ushered into the adults' booth.

"Oh, wow, you set this all up for us?" Mrs. Carmichael was extremely flattered.

"You're such good friends to us," said Mrs. Bernard, "as is your daughter to our children."

"Nous voulons retourner la faveur," said Joe. (We want to return the favour.)

They all got their drinks and meals, and shared some great banter. "Mina," said Mrs. Carmichael, "I'm really impressed with the blog your daughter put together. She's a very smart girl."

"We're all very proud of her," said Mrs. Yang. "She's very passionate about her topic."

"So, Frank," said Mr. Rivers, "tell us about your wedding."

"It was sunnier than any day had ever been," gushed Mr. Carmichael. "The roses were the sweetest-smelling and pinkest I'd ever seen. And when I saw Carey walking towards me down that aisle…I knew I was going to have a very happy rest of my life."

All the parents aww'ed at that adorable description. Meanwhile, at the kids' table, Kira was telling the others about the newest book she'd been analyzing for her blog. "I really like the colour symbolism with the carnations," she said, showing them the illustrations. "Lalaina's flower crown changes colours depending on the situation. See how it's pink at the wedding, but black during the hurricane?"

"That's a cool detail," said Jackson, admiring the art.

"I know!" Kira was bouncing in her seat. "The artist did such a good job!"

Luz looked a little closer. "And they made the carnation lose more petals the older Lalania gets. That's really clever, I didn't notice that the first time around."

"You've read it before?" Kira cocked her head.

"Her class read it in Grade 7, said Janet, "and then she read it to me. We both loved it."

As the meal wound down, the kids were distracted as the waiter brought over two slices of chocolate cake for Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael. "A little anniversary treat; on the house." They ate the delectable treat together as they gazed into each other's eyes, while the other adults paid the bill and collected their children.

Just before everyone could leave, Katrina pulled Annie in close. "My dad's getting married soon," she whispered to her. "I'm gonna ask if you can come." Annie nodded excitedly.

That night, when the Carmichaels went home, Mr. Carmichael swept his wife up off her feet, and, after making sure Annie had been shooed off to bed, carried her to the bedroom.

"You're such a wonderful man," said Mrs. Carmichael as her husband tightly embraced her.

"I wouldn't be complete without a fantastic woman like you," said Mr. Carmichael. They held each other and drifted into sleep until the sun came out.

And no, he didn't nail her, that's too naughty for this fic.

Chapter Text

It was a breezy April afternoon. Joe and Von Kaiser were sitting in the kitchen, discussing wedding details over sandwiches and milk. "J'étais pense on peut donne les pétales de rose a les demoiselles d'honneur," said Joe. "Les roses représente l'amour." (I was thinking we could give rose petals to the flower girls. Roses represent love.)

"Ich habe an Tulpen gedacht," said Von Kaiser. "Jede Hochzeit hat Rosen. Ich denke, es wäre etwas spezieller." (I was thinking of tulips. Every wedding has roses. I think it would be a bit more special.)

Joe shrunk back a bit. "Eh bien…les roses sont traditionnelles, mais je suppose qu'on peut dévier contre la tradition…" (Well…roses are traditional, but I suppose we can deviate away from tradition…)

Von Kaiser put a hand on Joe's shoulder. "Joseph, es ist in Ordnung. Wenn Sie wirklich Rosen wollen, werden wir Kompromisse eingehen und beides haben." (Joseph, it's okay. If you really want roses, we'll compromise and have both.)

"Oui," said Joe, relaxing his shoulders. "Compromis."

Just then, the door shut, and Katrina, home from school, came into the kitchen. "Oh, Katrina," said Joe, jumping up a bit, "tu peux choisir un ami d'être un demoiselle d'honneur avec toi. Qui veux-tu inviter?" (Oh, Katrina, you can choose a friend to be a flower girl with you. Who do you want to invite?) If they were planning this wedding a few years ago, he knew she would have picked Claire, but after everything Katrina had been telling him the past little while, he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Annie," said Katrina. "She was just telling me today about how she was so happy that you were getting married."

Joe and Von Kaiser smiled at each other. They were happy to be getting married too.

The next day, when Joe and Von Kaiser went into the arena, they met up with Pierce to further discuss the guest list. "So you want the whole league to be there?" Pierce asked to confirm. Joe and Von Kaiser both nodded. "Alright, so that's an invite for Lulu, Barney, Beth, Xander, Don-"

"Warte eine Sekunde," said Von Kaiser, "wer ist Don?" (Wait a second, who's Don?)

"New guy," said Pierce, pointing at a tall, lanky fellow doing some sort of step dance. "Just registered him this morning." Von Kaiser was a bit skeptical, but Joe convinced him it would work.

"Okay, now where was I…" Pierce mumbled until he remembered. "Right, you'll also need invites for Soda, Bahadir, Brad, Amar, and Riki. That's ten. And you said you wanted to allow family members too, so add Cy, Lucy, Ivana, and Natsumi, and you need fourteen invitations."

"Gibt es Lebensmittelunverträglichkeiten, über die wir Bescheid wissen sollten?" (Are there any food intolerances that we should know about?)

"Don can't eat mangoes, they make him itchy," said Pierce, "and Riki can't eat dairy, it gives him heartburn. Those should be easy to avoid."

That sounded good. Once they had all that figured out, Joe went to introduce himself to Don. After all, knowing his place at the bottom of the Minor Circuit, he figured he was going to have to fight him later that day. "Bonjour," he said, extending a hand. "Je m'appelle Joseph." (Hello. My name is Joseph.)

Don looked over his shoulder. "Hola. Ellas me llaman Don." He stepped into position. "Don Flamenco. Y las damas me aman." (Hello. They call me Don. Don Flamenco. And the ladies love me.)

"D'accord," mumbled Joe, a bit taken aback. "On va avoir un mariage en août. Veux-tu venir?" (Okay… We're having a wedding in August. Would you like to come?)

"Me encantaría," said Don, still continuing his pattern of steps. "Amor, ella es una cosa hermosa." (I would love that. Love, she is a beautiful thing.)

Von Kaiser caught up with Joe. "Was ist mit der Familie? Welche Ihrer Verwandten hätten Sie gerne dort?" (What about family? Which of your relatives would you like there?)

"Ma mère, bien sûr," said Joe, "et ma soeur et sa famille. Et mon oncle Gabby." (My mom, of course, and my sister and her family. And my uncle Gabby.)

"Ich habe nicht viel enge Familie," said Von Kaiser, "aber mein Bruder und meine Nichte müssen da sein. Sie wohnen weit weg und ich sehe sie nicht oft." (I don't have much close family, but my brother and my niece must be there. They live far and I don't get to see them much.)

Joe smiled and kissed Von Kaiser's cheek. "Je suis tellement reconnaissant qu'on peut être d' accord avec tous ces choses." (I'm so glad that we can agree on all these things.)

Von Kaiser hugged his fiance tight. He was hoping that all of these pieces would fit together when the wedding eventually came.

Chapter Text

Here it was; August 15th, 2020. Joe and Von Kaiser were going to get married today.

Everyone was up bright and early to get ready. Amélie, Gabby Jay, and Chloé arrived at the house with breakfast bagels. "Ceci c'est vraiment se passe," said Amélie. "Mon bebe va être marié." (This is really happening. My baby's getting married.)

"Nous sommes tous excités," said Gabby Jay, easing his sister's nerves. (We're all excited.) He helped Joe into his tuxedo, while Amélie and Chloé prettied up Katrina.

"Oncle Gabriel, tous mes nerfs sont tendus," said Joe. "Ceci c'est un des jours les plus importants dans ma vie." (Uncle Gabriel, all my nerves are shot. This is one of the most important days of my life.)

"Ta mère était la même le jour de son mariage," said Gabby Jay. "Elle me dit qu'au moment où tu vois ton fiancé à l'autel, tes anxiétés ont disparu, et tu es blessé avec la meilleure joie au monde." (Your mother was the same on her wedding day. She told me that the moment you see your fiance at the altar, your anxieties melt away, and you're blessed with the greatest joy in the world.)

"Mais papa nous a abandonnés," said Joe. (But dad abandoned us.)

"C'est vrai," said Gabby Jay, "mais est Viktor comme ton père?" (That's true, but is Viktor like your father?)

Joe was quiet for a moment, but shook his head.

"Exactement," said Gabby Jay, who continued combing his nephew's hair.

In a little bungalow, Von Kaiser was prepping himself for the wedding with his brother Miles and niece Adalaide. "Es ist sehr nett von Ihnen, dass Sie uns in Ihr altes Zuhause einziehen lassen," said Miles. (It's very kind of you to let us move into your old home.)

"Nun ja, jemand musste es übernehmen, da ich bei Joseph und Katrina einziehe," said Von Kaiser. "Außerdem können wir so näher zusammenleben." (Well, someone had to take it, since I'm moving in with Joseph and Katrina. This way, we can live closer together.)

"Ich mag mein neues Kleid," said Adelaide. (I like my new dress.)

"Ja," said Miles. "Bist du bereit, deine Gedichte zu lesen?" (Are you ready to read your poems?)

Before Adalaide could answer, there was a knock at the door. She went and opened it. "Ah, Louise," said Von Kaiser. "Komm rein." (Come in.)

"Wer ist das?" Miles asked. (Who is this?)

"Katrinas Großmutter," said Von Kaiser. "Da Mum nicht hier ist, fungiert sie als meine Mutter des Bräutigams." (Katrina's grandmother. Since Mum isn't here, she's acting as my Mother of the Groom.)

At nine o'clock, everyone met at the flower garden's meeting hall to make sure everything was ready for the wedding to start at ten. "Viens, vous deux," said Gina, bringing Katrina and Annie over to give them their flower crowns. (Come on, you two.)

However, there was a slight problem; while Katrina had wavy hair that laid flat on her head, Annie had an afro, and the flower crown wouldn't fit around it. Gina tried to fit the crown around the afro, but it simply wouldn't budge.

"Let me help," said Marie, taking the crown from her stepmother. She picked the flowers out of the crown and arranged them into Annie's hair. "There. Perfect."

Connor then toddled over to them. Marie kneeled down to his level. "You know what your job is?"

"Pick up pedals off the gwass," said Connor.

"That's right," said Marie.

It was ten o'clock; time for the wedding to begin. Blaine and Bald Bull ushered everyone into their seats so the ceremony could start. First came Matron of Honour Pierce, walking officiant Hoy Quarlow to the altar so he could marry the loving couple. Next came Von Kaiser, with Louise by his side. He stood at the altar and waited for his husband-to-be.

Next came the groomsmen and groomsmaid; Bear Hugger walked with Miles, Mr. Sandman walked with Gina, and Soda Popinski walked with Piston Hondo. Katrina and Annie followed them, scattering rose and tulip petals. Connor tailed behind them, picking stray petals off the grass and putting them back on the path. Marie kept him on the path while walking Adalaide to her place.

Then came Flying Feather and her wife Lucy. They waved their twin rainbow flags in the air. "Here comes the groom!"

Sure enough, there came Joe with Amélie on his arm. He found that Gabby Jay was right; now that he could see Von Kaiser waiting for him at the altar, he wasn't scared anymore.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Hoy Quarlow, "we are gathered here today to join these two men in holy matrimony."

Von Kaiser delivered his vows first. "Joseph, ich kann mir mein Leben ohne dich nicht vorstellen. Solange ich dich kenne, warst du nichts als nett zu mir. Ich gelobe, dich vor Schaden zu bewahren, an deiner Seite zu sein, wenn du krank bist, und dich in all unseren Kämpfen zu begleiten." (Joseph, I can't imagine my life without you. As long as I've known you, you've been nothing but kind to me. I vow to keep you safe from harm, to be by your side when you are ailing, and care for you through all our hardships.)

Joe wrung his hands as he delivered his vows. "Viktor, tu étais là depuis toute ma carrière. Tu tiens vraiment à ma fille et moi-même. Je promets d'être là quand tu me besoin, d'être ton épaule pour pleurer, et…" He hiccupped, his voice wavering a bit. "...de t'adore pour le reste de ma vie." (Viktor, you've been there for my whole career. You really care about my daughter and myself. I promise to be there when you need me, to be your shoulder to cry on, and to love you for the rest of my life.)

"Viktor," said Hoy, "do you take Joseph to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"Ja," said Von Kaiser.

"And Joseph, do you take Viktor to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"Oui," said Joseph, tears starting to flow down his face.

"Then with the power vested in me, I pronounce you husbands. You may kiss the groom."

Joe glomped onto Von Kaiser and the two passionately kissed. The entire party erupted into loud cheers.

After the chairs and altar had been put away and the flower petals picked up to go into the compost, the wedding party moved to the reception at a community hall. Everyone ate a nice lunch of hochzeitssuppe, filet mignon, and black forest wedding cake while listening to Adalaide recite some love poems.

"यह पहला गाना सुखी जोड़े को जाता है; जो और विक्टर!" (This first song goes to the happy couple; Joe and Viktor!) The lights dimmed to a deep purple, and Joe and Viktor stepped into the middle of the room for the first dance. They felt as if the whole world had disappeared around them. Just each other, and a gentle slow song.

However, as all songs do, it eventually came to an end, and Joe looked up at everyone in the room. Amélie, Louise, Gina, Blaine, and Miles sharing some banter about their children, Katrina and Annie taking selfies together, Connor, Adalaide, and Emma playing Pokémon Sun and Moon at the kids table, Lizzie and Marlowe holding a candle and softly talking to each other (he guessed a prayer to Heather), Mr. Carmichael, Mrs. Carmichael, and Mrs. Jennings goofing around stacking corn chips, Chloé and Natsumi laughing together while Don tried some of his pick-up lines on Natsumi, and the boxers and their spouses just enjoying the party and celebrating that their coworkers were getting married.

"चलो, अब सब नाचो!" (Come on, everyone dance now!) The other couples joined the two on the dance floor. Hey, if they were getting married, they might as well enjoy it!

The evening had come. The last few remaining guests were helping clean up.

"Before you go," said Hoy Quarlow to the Beaufort-Kaiser family, "you'll need to sign these." He presented them with a marriage license and a certificate officially making Von Kaiser Katrina's legal parent. They gleefully signed off all the papers, and with that, Joe and Von Kaiser left the hall to set off for their honeymoon, while Katrina left with Gina to spend that time with her family.

Chapter Text

A gentle pink wave was flowing across the Sunday sky as the sun rose. Von Kaiser sleepily blinked his eyes open, Boy, did it ever feel nice to wake up with his new husband still smushing his face into his chest! "Guten Morgen, Joseph," he whispered to him. (Good morning, Joseph.)

Joe pulled his head up and looked at him. "Bon matin," he yawned. (Good morning.) He rubbed his eyes and looked around the hotel room. The two of them sat up, and watched that morning's new episode of Life with Johnny in California.

When the episode concluded, Von Kaiser sat up to go get dressed. "Also, Joseph, was sollen wir heute tun?" (So, Joseph, what shall we do today?)

Joe looked out the window. "Je ne sais pas," he mumbled. (I don't know.)

Von Kaiser shrugged. "Nun, wir werden bis Dienstag Morgen hier sein." (Well, we'll be here until Tuesday morning.)

Joe hauled himself out of bed. "Eh bien, il y a un beau jardin proche de cet hôtel. Nous pouvons venir pour regarder les fleurs." (Well, there's a beautiful garden close to this hotel. We could go and see the flowers.)

"Das hört sich wunderbar an," said Von Kaiser. (That sounds wonderful.)

Soon, Joe and Von Kaiser were walking along the garden path, admiring the flowers and the amazing patterns and decorations the gardeners had moulded them into. Joe was in particular awe of a patch of roses planted in the shape of a heart, starting as red at the top and fading into pink, into white as they descended down to the point.

"Du hattest recht, Joseph," said Von Kaiser, "das ist wunderbar." (You were right, Joseph, this is lovely.)

"J'ai toujours aimé les fleurs," said Joe. "Les roses et les iris sont mes préférés." (I've always loved flowers. Roses and irises are my favourites.) He pursed his lips. "Je ne connais pas l'opinion de mon père sur les fleurs, mais je pense qu'il va penser que je suis un poule mouillée pour mon amour d'elles." (I don't know what my father thinks about flowers, but I think he'd think I'm a sissy for my love of them.)

He shook his head. "Non. Je ne veux pas y penser. Aujourd'hui c'est une journée heureuse." (No. I don't want to think of him. Today is a happy day.)

When Joe and Von Kaiser got back to the hotel, they decided to go for a dip in the pool. Joe was much slower getting into the water than Von Kaiser, because it was a little colder than he expected. He clung onto Von Kaiser; this wasn't as good an idea as he thought. Von Kaiser chuckled, and the two sat on the water bench.

"Oh my god, it's you again!"

Von Kaiser looked up. It was Judy! "Warum, Judy, was führt dich hierher?" (Why, Judy, what brings you here?)

"Oh, I'm here with my husband for a little getaway," said Judy. She pointed at a blond man goofing around with a couple of kids and a pool noodle. "That's my Ron."

"Je suis heureux pour toi," said Joe. (I'm happy for you.)

"It's kind of nerve-wracking." Judy fiddled with a strand of her hair. "This is our first vacation away without the baby. But nothing terrible has happened so far, so I think we're good." Judy then swam back over to Ron. Von Kaiser smiled warmly, and kissed Joe's cheek.

The next morning, Von Kaiser decided to video chat with Katrina. Katrina was sitting on the couch in Gina's living room, while Marie was braiding her hair. "So what did you do yesterday?"

"Wir haben einen Garten besucht und sind ins Schwimmbad gegangen." Von Kaiser put a hand on Joe's back. "Ich glaube, deinem Vater ist immer noch kalt vom Pool." (We visited a garden and went to the pool. I think your father is still cold from the pool.)

"Hm?" Joe, still half-asleep, blinked, confused. "Qui a tu parler?" (Who are you talking to?)

"Is that Uncle Joe?" Connor pulled himself up onto the couch next to Katrina.

Joe pushed himself upwards so he could properly speak with his daughter, niece, and nephew. "Bon matin, ma belle," he mumbled sleepily. (Good morning, sweetie.)

"Nous avons mangé du pain à l'ail hier," said Connor. (We ate garlic bread yesterday.)

Joe rubbed his eyes. "Ca c'est cool, mon gars." (That's cool, buddy.)

That night, Joe and Von Kaiser went out together for a nice meal. Around halfway through, Von Kaiser noticed that Joe had hardly touched his plate. "Joseph, fühlst du dich okay? Sie haben nichts gegessen." (Joseph, are you feeling okay? You haven't eaten anything.)

Joe jumped a bit. "Oh, oui, je suis ça va. J'étais juste pense que tu es vraiment beau sur ces lumières." (Oh, yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking you were very beautiful under these lights.)

Von Kaiser chuckled, blushing like a cherry tomato. As the two continued eating, Von Kaiser had a lot on his mind. "Also, was denkst du, wie unsere Zukunft aussehen wird?" (So, what do you think our future will look like?)

Joe paused for a moment. "Je ne sais pas vraiment. Je pense que nous allons avoir une vie tranquille, ou nous vivons ensemble, travailler ensemble, et prendre soin de notre fille ensemble." (I don't really know. I think we'll have a peaceful life, where we live together, work together, and look after our daughter together.)

Von Kaiser nodded. "Das gefällt mir." (I like it.)

The next day, it was Tuesday. Von Kaiser was driving back into town with Joe sleeping in the passenger seat. They were on their way to Gina's place to pick up Katrina and bring her home with them.

When they got there, Katrina came out with her overnight bag, with Connor toddling after her. "Uncle Joe! Uncle Joe!"

Von Kaiser exited the car and hugged his stepdaughter. "Dein Onkel Joseph macht im Auto ein Nickerchen," he said to Connor. (Your Uncle Joseph is having a nap in the car.)

"Well, can you tell him I said hi?" Connor cocked his head.

"Ja." Von Kaiser knelt down and hugged his step-nephew, before corralling Katrina into the car to go home and properly begin married life.

Chapter Text

It was a cloudy August morning. Von Kaiser was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking his coffee, when the back door shut as Joe came back inside from the backyard.

"Mew!"

Was? Von Kaiser turned around and saw Joe holding a tiny brown-and-white kitten. "Oh, Joseph!"

"Regarder! Je me trouve au jardin," cooed Joe, petting the kitten on her head. "Pouvons-nous se garder?" (Look! I found her in the backyard. Can we keep her?)

Von Kaiser petted the kitten as well. "Oh, was für eine Süße," he said. "Aber wir brauchen noch eine weitere Stimme." (Oh, what a cutie. But we still need one more vote.)

Almost on cue, Katrina came into the kitchen. "Is there still apple juice left-" Apple juice instantly left her mind the second she saw the kitten. "Kitty!"

"Ich schätze, das erledigt es. Wir können sie behalten." (I guess that takes care of it. We can keep her.) The kitten looked up at Von Kaiser and mewed.

Joe handed the kitten off to Katrina. "What's her name?"

"Sofie." "Miette."

The two husbands looked at each other. "Kompromiss; wir nennen sie Sofie-Miette." (Compromise; we'll name her Sofie-Miette.)

After a run around town to visit a vet and a pet store, Sofie-Miette was ready to settle into her new home. The vet had found that while she was slightly malnourished from being a stray, she was overall very healthy, and they had gotten her two bowls, a litter box, some toys, and a crate for her to stay in when no one else was home. Joe took a picture of Sofie-Miette and sent it to the group chat.

joebeaufort84 sent: Regarder à notre nouveau chaton! (Look at our new kitten!) (12:04 pm)

bethskies, tigerclaw, carebear, hondo1994, and rosabella1012 liked this.

bethskies sent: cute (12:06 pm)

baldbull1 sent: çok küçük (very small) (12:07 pm)

sexymachobeast69 replied to baldbull1's message: all kittens are small dumbass (12:08 pm)

baldbull1 sent: 😡😡😡 (12:08 pm)

carebear sent: Does she have a name (12:09 pm)

joebeaufort84 sent: Sofie-Miette 💝 (12:09 pm)

tigerclaw sent: छोटा शिशु (small baby) (12:10 pm)

Sofie-Miette climbed onto the couch and into Joe's lap and squeaked at him. Joe petted her head. "Oh, tu es tellement mignon." (Oh, you're so cute.)

Chapter Text

October had come, and with early October came Von Kaiser's fortieth birthday. It was a bit much to wrap his head around; forty years old. He figured he was relatively well-accomplished at his age; nice job, married, and a stepfather. And he was happy with this life; what more could he ask for?

Anyway, it was late in the afternoon. Joe had a match scheduled, and a few errands to run, so he wouldn't be back until dinnertime. In the meantime, Von Kaiser spread a large sheet of paper across the kitchen table, and called Katrina downstairs. Together, the two of them started to draw a mandala pattern.

"Weißt du, Katrina," said Von Kaiser, "ich fühle mich immer noch nicht wirklich wie dein Stiefvater." (You know, Katrina, I still don't really feel like your stepfather.)

"Well, yeah," said Katrina, "you only married Dad two months ago."

"Ich weiß, aber ich kenne dich, seit du ein Baby warst," continued Von Kaiser. "Ich habe nur das Gefühl, dass ich dir näher sein sollte, als ich es bin." (I know, but I've known you since you were a baby. I just feel like I should be closer to you than I am.)

"Well, I'm happy," said Katrina. "I like having you here around the house. I always knew that you and Dad getting married would mean that you would be my dad too, ever since I was little, so I just grew up with that association drilled into my head. You make him happy, you make me happy, you make the cat happy…what more could you do?"

Von Kaiser was touched. Katrina scooted her chair closer to him, and the two hugged before returning to their mandala. Von Kaiser's designs were round, floaty, but simple. Katrina's were more intricate, with floral patterns. Sofie-Miette hopped onto the table and mewed at them.

Right on time at dinnertime, Joe came home with two bags of groceries and a fat lip. He, with Katrina's help, cooked Von Kaiser's favourite schnitzel recipe for dinner, even making a little extra for Sofie-Miette. They all ate together, and when they finished, Joe brought out a birthday surprise; a German chocolate ice cream cake. He kissed his husband's forehead. "Joyeux anniversaire, Viktor." (Happy birthday, Viktor.)

Von Kaiser put a hand over his heart and smiled. He kissed Joe back, and the three had cake. After they finished, Von Kaiser picked the mandala back up, and the three sat down to colour it together.

Chapter Text

It was a brisk November morning. The last of the fall leaves were falling from the trees and fluttering onto the ground. Joe was casually scrolling through his FriendFindr when he was struck with a question.

"Je me demande qu'est-ce que se passe à mes amis d'école secondaire." (I wonder what happened to my high school friends.)

He decided to search for their names. He started by typing in "Colette Laurent". The first result had her picture under the name "Colette Vernier". Why, Vernier was Marcel's surname. He clicked on the profile, and indeed, Colette and Marcel had married, and they even had two children together; a daughter who was a little younger than Katrina, and a son who looked to be around Daisy's age. Well, wasn't that nice of them. In spite of himself, he sent both of them a friend request.

After about an hour, Colette reciprocated his friend request and sent him a message.

Colette sent: Bonjour (9:53 am)

Joseph sent: 👋 (9:54 am)

Colette sent: Veux-tu la rencontrer pour le déjeuner quelque temps cette semaine? (Would you like to meet for lunch sometime this week?) (9:54 am)

Joseph sent: Oui (9:55 am)

Colette sent: 👍 (9:55 am)

Well then. Joe looked up when he heard Von Kaiser enter the kitchen. "Viktor, je vais rencontrer de vieux amis quelque temps cette semaine. Veux-tu me joindre?" (Viktor, I'm meeting with old friends sometime this week. Would you like to join me?)

"In Ordnung," said Von Kaiser. "Wohin gehen wir?" (Alright. Where are we going?)

"Je pense qu'on va a un p'tit restaurant," said Joe. (I think we're going to a little restaurant.) He did a little more searching to see if Armand wanted to come as well. But after seeing that all of his most recent posts were unsavoury quips about women, he decided it was best not to engage.

A few days later, Joe, Von Kaiser, Katrina, Colette, Marcel, their daughter Marguerite, and their son Yves all met at a restaurant for lunch.

"Alors, ceci c'est ton mari?" Colette asked Joe as they sat down. (So, this is your husband?)

"Oui," said Joe. "Nous sommes ensemble depuis quatre ans, et nous étions mariés en août." (Yeah. We've been together for four years, and we were wed in August.)

Marcel sighed as they waited for drinks. "Je souhait que j'étais plus gentil à l'école secondaire. J'étais tellement un tyran." (I wish I was nicer in high school. I was such a bully.)

"Ah, Marcel, c'était le passé," said Colette, "on besoin de se concentrer sur le présent." (Oh, Marcel, it was the past. We need to focus on the present.)

The waiter came by and dropped up glasses of water, and a glass of milk for Yves. Marguerite sipped her drink. "Alors, tu es un boxeur?" (So, you're a boxer?)

"Nos deux sont des boxeurs," said Joe. "Nous sommes dans le circuit mineur pour l'Association Mondiale pour le Boxe Vidéo." (We're both boxers. We're in the Minor Circuit for the World Video Boxing Association.)

"Genial!" Yves bounced in his seat.

"Tu sais, Colette, j'ai toi à remercier pour cette décision," said Joe. "Tu peux déclarer que je vraiment renforcer pour la Saint-Patrick." (You know, Colette, I have you to thank for that decision. You could say that I really toughened up for St. Patrick's Day.)

"Yeah, he told me that story," added Katrina.

Colette was surprised and rather flattered. One snarky remark from high school sparked a major career? She snapped out of it when everyone's meals came.

"Tu es à l'école intermédiaire, oui?" Marguerite asked Katrina. (You're in middle school, right?) "Je vais être là en septembre," she continued when Katrina nodded. "Je suis tellement excitée." (I'll be there in September. I'm really excited.)

As the two of them talked about middle school, Colette turned her attention to Joe and his romantic life. "Alors, vous étiez ensemble pour quatre ans?" (So, you were together for four years?)

"Nun, wir waren vorher neun Jahre befreundet," said Von Kaiser. (Well, we were friends for nine years before.)

"Oui," said Joe. "Amis pour treize ans, ensemble pour quatre, et mari pour quelques mois." (Yes. Friends for thirteen years, together for four, and married for a few months.)

"Colette et moi à marie juste après l'université," said Marcel, munching on a wing. "Et après cinq ans, nous avons Marguerite." (Colette and I married just after university. And after five years, we had Marguerite.)

The four of them laughed and shared more stories as they ate.

After the bill had been paid, the dishes cleared, and the coats back on, everyone was prepared to leave. Marcel stopped Joe a moment before he could leave. "Merci pour nos rencontres aujourd'hui. Ce vraiment me donner la tranquillité d'esprit." (Thank you for meeting us today. It really gave me peace of mind.)

Joe gave them both a warm smile. "Le plaisir c'est mon," he said, pulling them into a hug. (The pleasure is mine.)

When they let go, Marcel gave Joe a mischievous grin. "Au revoir, Lulu." They parted ways to go back to their own homes and their own lives.

Chapter Text

Cold. Dark. Silent.

Joe found himself waking up floating in a void. He felt light as a feather, like a ghost. Where was he?

"Joseph?"

Joe turned around, and was absolutely shocked at what he saw. It was Heather, looking just the same as the night they spent together, right down to the lavender glitter on her face.

"Look at you, married with a nice house and nice job," said Heather, tweaking Joe's cheek.

"Heather?" Joe was coming down from the shock. "Je ne comprends pas, comment es-tu ici?" (I don't understand, how are you here?)

"Because you're in Dreamland," said Heather, "and now that you're here, I can tell you how grateful I am for looking after my baby girl. Five'll get you ten that if you didn't, they would have sent Katrina to my sister." She took Joe's hand. "And that would have been a disaster."

The void melted into a place. Joe recognized this; it was the mall. And there was Laura walking away with Katrina.

"You can't take me! Besides, Dad has the car keys."

Laura clamped a hand over Katrina's mouth. "Forget him; we're taking a cab. You need to be with your family."

She got Katrina out of the mall, into her car, and out of the parking lot. Only then did he see his dream self, who was just coming into the main area of the mall now. But it was too late; his daughter was gone.

Then the car came into focus. Katrina was in the back without a booster seat (which Joe knew she needed, because she didn't get out of them until she was nine), looking at everything out the window. Fear clouded her eyes; she obviously had no idea where they were going.

"Laura never liked me," said Heather. She gave her sister a disdainful look, then scrunched up her face, reached her hands out and wrapped them around Laura's throat, but because Laura was only a simulation, her hands went right through her.

Joe put a hand on his daughter's cheek, and jumped a bit when his fingers phased through her. "Heather, ceci c'est terrible." (Heather, this is terrible.)

"You think this is bad? You should see what would have happened if Part 2 went her way." The car disappeared, and suddenly they were in a middle school. But this wasn't Katrina's middle school; rather, they were in another district entirely. Joe spotted Katrina walking through the hallways and out of the building. But she didn't get on the school bus. Instead, she got onto the city bus and rode down to the courthouse.

She swung the courthouse doors open. "I demand a retrial."

The judge turned around, saw her, and sighed. "Miss Sanders, you've been in here every day this week."

"And I'll just keep coming until I get a retrial," said Katrina, giving the judge a defiant look.

"Look, sweetie, you really need therapy," said the judge, "all this denial isn't good for you. Your father is in prison because he murdered your mother. That's that."

"Fine," said Katrina, "then I'll get my own lawyer and sue you for false imprisonment. My dad didn't kill anyone, my grandma wasn't an accomplice, and if you leave me with Laura any longer, you just might have to lock me up!"

"Katrina!" Now Laura was at the doorway. "Pestering the courts is one thing, but taking money from my purse for bus fares?! Come on, young lady, you're grounded." She grabbed Katrina's shoulder.

"Don't touch me, bitch!" Katrina pushed Laura off of her.

Laura gasped and put on an indignant face. "Don't you dare talk to your mother like that!"

"Shut up!" Katrina shrieked. "You're not my mom, you'll never be my mom, and I am going to come here every day until they let Dad and Nana out because you put them there with your lies!"

Laura was turning red. "You're ruining my day!"

"You ruined my life!"

Katrina couldn't say anymore before Laura grabbed her and pushed her against the wall in a chokehold. "Listen to me, you worthless filth, my sister didn't give her life for you to grow up into an ungrateful little brat. You come here again and I will put you in the trunk of the car and take you somewhere where no one will ever find you again."

"Nice work," said Katrina with the smuggest smirk she could give while being deprived of oxygen, "you just assaulted a minor and admitted you lied in court in front of a judge."

True to Katrina's word, the judge was standing behind the two, looking absolutely horrified. Laura twisted up her face and slammed Katrina's head into the wall. "Go to hell!"

"I'll see you there!"

When the judge tried to pull Laura off of Katrina, Laura instead whirled around and tackled him to the ground. "You're not taking her! You can't take her!"

"Joseph?"

Joe jolted when he felt something on his shoulder. He looked up, and he was back in his bed. No Heather, no Laura, no judge. The sun was just barely rising. "Huh?"

"Joseph, Sie verbrennen," said Von Kaiser, with his hand on Joe's forehead. (Joseph, you're burning up.)

"Où est Katrina?" (Where's Katrina?)

"Im Bett, nehme ich an," said Von Kaiser. "Warum?" (In bed, I presume. Why?)

"Je besoin de se voir," said Joe, giving Von Kaiser a pleading look with his eyes. (I need to see her.)

Von Kaiser looked concerned, and got out of bed and left the room. He heard soft, muffled voices in the next room over, and while Von Kaiser went to get fever medicine from the cabinet, Katrina shuffled sleepily into the room. "Dad?"

"Oh, Katie," said Joe, a wave of relief crashing over him as he hugged his daughter, "j'ai un cauchemar terrible." (Oh, Katie, I had a terrible nightmare.)

"What happened in it?" Katrina sat down next to him.

"Je ne veux pas répéter," said Joe, "ce vais juste te contrarier. Nous sommes en sécurité, et ça c'est qu'est-ce que important." (I don't want to repeat it, it will just upset you. We're safe, and that's what's important.)

Von Kaiser came back with the medicine, which Joe took. "Komm, Joseph, du brauchst deinen Schlaf." (Come on, Joseph, you need your sleep.) He held Joe's hand until he fell back asleep.

Once Joe was back asleep, Von Kaiser and Katrina went downstairs for breakfast. "Did Dad tell you what his dream was about?" Katrina asked as she got Sofie-Miette out of her crate.

"Nein, hat er nicht," said Von Kaiser, "aber ich vermute, es hatte etwas mit deiner Tante zu tun." (No, he didn't, but I suspect it had something to do with your aunt.)

Chapter Text

Ah, Valentine's Day; Don Flamenco's favourite holiday. A time of roses, romance, and dancing the flamenco; and if things didn't work out, there was always chocolate to drown his sorrows in.

He was out spending the evening at a dancing club, when he spotted her. Flowing blonde hair with a rose tucked over her ear. Deep green eyes like sparkling peridots. A dress of bubblegum-pink satin that hung off her biceps and stopped just above her knee. Why, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. He simply had to talk to her.

"Hola," he said, sliding into the seat next to her. "¿Puede interesarte en algo dulce?" (Can I interest you in something sweet?)

The woman giggled. "Que favorecedor." (How flattering.)

Don got the attention of the snack bartender, and got the two of them soft cookies. "¿No eres el boxeador Don Flamenco?" The girl asked while nibbling on hers. (Aren't you the boxer Don Flamenco?)

"En el ring, tal vez," he said with a flourish, "pero puedes llamarme Romeo Cabello." (In the ring, perhaps. But you may call me Romeo Cabello.)

The woman began to blush a gentle pink. "Y me llaman Carmen Amador." (And they call me Carmen Amador.)

Once they finished their cookies, Don took Carmen's hand. "¿Bailamos?" (Shall we dance?)

Carmen giggled. "Pensé que nunca lo preguntarías." (I thought you'd never ask.)

The two entered the dance floor just as a flamenco number began to play. Don took Carmen's hands, and the two did a sort of waltz across the floor. Don raised Carmen's arm and twirled her around on her tiptoes. Embracing her, the two tapped their heels, and Don lifted Carmen to swing her around. But when the two took hands and swung themselves back, Don's toupee went flying off his head! "¡Oh, Don, tu cabello!" Carmen exclaimed, picking it up. (Oh, Don, your hair!)

"Si," said Don, sheepishly putting his toupee back on. "Tengo que tomar testosterona, y funciona en todas las formas menos en una." (I have to take testosterone, and it works in every way but one.)

"Bueno, al menos eres honesto al respecto." (Well, at least you're honest about it.) Carmen wrapped her arms around Don's shoulders to finish the dance. Don tilted her back into a dip, then back up again to have their arms raised in the final beat. And just after the last note of the song had ended, Carmen kissed Don right on the cheek.

Boy howdy, that was some good night. The question was, did Carmen really like him back? She must; she gave him her phone number and told him to call her. That has to mean something, right?

The next day, when Don went into work, a handful of the others were crowded around Flying Feather's phone in the lounge. "Boy, Donny, you sure got yourself a catch," said Bear Hugger as Flying Feather showed him the phone. It was the picture Carmen's friend had taken of them on the dance floor.

"Si," said Don, "la mujer más hermosa del club." (Yes, the most beautiful woman in the club.)

"That's awesome," said Katrina. "I just stayed home and ate chocolate." She swung her hair back. "Would be nice if I had a girlfriend." She then side-eyed the boxers to gauge their reactions.

Joe cut in to break the awkward silence. "Elle fait son coming-out ce week-end, et maintenant elle veut que tout le monde le sache." (She came out this weekend, and now she wants everyone to know.)

"Oh, good for her," said Flying Feather. "Welcome to the lesbian club."

"Man, I really am the token cishet around here, aren't I?" Super Macho Man observed.

"Yup."

"Oui."

"Si."

"Yeah."

"Bingo."

Super Macho Man shrugged. "Just means I'm unique."

"As long as you're happy with yourself," said Flying Feather, sneaking a glance at him. "Which you obviously are."

A couple of the boxers chuckled. Super Macho Man shrugged it off and continued his usual flexing routine.

Chapter Text

It was a brisk day in late February. Katrina was putting her books back into her bag. Dad and Vati were picking her up from school early, for that evening, they had a flight to catch. They were going to spend March Break at an international boxing tournament that the WVBA had been invited to attend.

"Hey, do you have a pencil?"

Katrina turned around. A boy called Harry Bauer was tapping her shoulder. He was a thin boy with bushy red hair and glasses; his appearance sort of reminded Katrina of a rabbit. She handed him a pencil out of her case, to which he thanked her.

"Please excuse the interruption, could Katrina Beaufort please come to the lobby with her things."

Katrina took her bags, bid her class farewell, and went to the lobby, where Dad and Vati were waiting for her. "Viens, Katie," said Dad, "on va pour manger un dîner tôt avant notre vol." (Come on, Katie, we're going to get an early dinner before our flight.)

After a quick stop for burgers, Katrina, Dad, and Vati arrived at the airport to get checked in, through security, and in the waiting area. "Bist du aufgeregt, Kleiner?" (Are you excited, kiddo?)

"Yeah," said Katrina, bouncing in her seat. She couldn't wait to get there and see the sights. Around her, she could see the other boxers arriving to wait for the plane as well. Since it was still a bit before the plane was due to take off, she played a game on her phone where she had to match rabbits to make bigger rabbits.

"6:00 pm flight to London, now boarding."

Everyone was getting on the plane. Katrina had the window seat in a row of three seats on the right side of the plane. She noticed that now that they were on the plane, Dad was getting antsy. She guessed he was nervous about flying. Vati put a hand on his leg. "Es ist okay."

After everyone was boarded, the flight attendants had given their safety presentation, and everything was in order, the plane took off. Katrina saw Dad put one hand over his heart and squeeze Vati's hand with the other. Katrina instead watched out the window, trying to make out objects on the ground from so far up.

Since they were going to be on the plane for several hours, Vati handed Dad an eye mask and urged him to get some sleep. Once Dad had calmed down, Vati looked over at Katrina. "Was ist mit dir, Kleiner? Bist du in Ordnung?" (What about you, kiddo? Are you okay?) Katrina nodded.

The plane merrily chugged along until they arrived at their destination. It was very late at night when they arrived, and so once the league arrived at the hotel, they all went straight to bed.

A few days later, it was the WVBA's time to enter the tournament. The first fight was going to be Glass Joe against the host's #3 in the Minor Circuit.

"In this corner, we have the WVBA's trooper, the unrelenting jobber, Glass Joe! And in this corner, we have the smug, the fancy, the beginner, Narcis Prince!"

"James Prince!" Narcis was not fond of the nickname he was given.

As the two fought, the other WVBA boxers were hanging out in the backroom. Flying Feather was showing them the pictures she took the previous day, when she, her wife, and their daughter had gone over to Bristol to see some of her family. "Aunt Alice was really happy to see me," she said. "She doesn't get many visitors."

A few hours later, after matches upon matches and Dad getting the honour of having his ass handed to him in two different countries, Katrina, Dad, and Vati decided to visit a nearby shopping center to pick up some souvenirs. When they arrived, they found that Narcis and his kid sister had had the same idea. "You know, I've heard of your dad before," said the sister to Katrina. "His perseverance impresses me."

"Yes, yes, perseverance," said Narcis, not looking up from his pocket mirror. "Lacey, I think I'm going to transfer to this WVBA or whatever it's called. At least there, the boxers show some respect."

His sister shook his head. "I'm Lacey," she said. "I can help you find a shirt to take home with you." She and Katrina went into a little shop, while Dad, Vati, and Narcis all went their own ways.

Inside, they tried on multiple shirts with the Union Jack print, until Katrina fell in love with a pink shirt with a Union Jack heart print on the hem. "This is the one." Lacey even offered to split their receipt. Katrina found her very kind.

That night, when they arrived back at the hotel, Dad ruffled Katrina's hair as they retired for the night. "Aimes-tu London, ma belle?" (Are you liking London, sweetie?)

"I love it," said Katrina. She sat down on her parents' bed and put the TV on.

"Das Wetter könnte besser sein, aber ansonsten ist es schön," said Vati. (The weather could be better, but otherwise, it's pretty nice.) The three of them settled in to watch a show together.

Chapter Text

It was April 1st; April Fool's Day, and of course, that meant every boxer had an excuse to act even more obnoxious to each other than they usually did.

"Bon matin, Bahadir," said Joe, patting Bald Bull on the back, "comment ca va?" (Good morning, Bahadir, how are you?)

Bald Bull looked at him funny. "İyi, neden sordun?" (Fine, why do you ask?)

"Oh, j'étais juste curieux." (Oh, I was just curious.) Joe then quickly escaped the lounge, snickering. Bald Bull shrugged and continued to make coffee.

That is, until he heard a few other boxers trying to contain their laughter. "Sırtıma bir şey yapıştırdı, değil mi?" (He taped something to my back, didn't he?) He reached behind him and peeled a piece of tape with a paper cutout of a fish stuck to it off of the back of his shirt.

"Glass Joe te acaba de engañar, hermano," chuckled Don. (Glass Joe just trolled you, bro.)

Bald Bull grumbled, and started off towards the door to go find Joe. "Эй, никакого насилия," said Soda Pop, stopping him. "Скоро у него матч." (Hey, no violence. He's got a match soon.)

Bald Bull simply tossed the fish aside and stomped off. King Hippo picked up the cutout off the floor, and cocked her head at it. She couldn't eat it though, because it was paper. Sad Hippo times.

Of course, Joe really did have a match that day; one of the most peculiar matches he had ever fought in his life!

"In this corner, we have the WVBA's trooper, our unrelenting jobber, Glass Joe! And in this corner, we have the goofiest contender to ever grace Milan, Mad Clown! Fight!"

This had to be a joke, right? Some kind of April Fools trick? Nope, they were completely serious; despite his goofy appearance, Mad Clown was a very competent fighter. Joe found himself ducking rubber balls and dodging side chops.

The crowd was just as amused as Joe was. They had never seen a clown box before. And they liked it! It was new, and refreshing, and above all, funny as all hell!

Joe, starting to run out of breath, hopped back to go in for the Vive la France. However, when he came forward, he instead got a huge double-fisted knock to his guts.

Yup, he was going to be feeling that tomorrow morning. Down he went. TKO.

When Joe finally pulled himself up, he saw Mad Clown staring at him. Mad Clown honked his nose at him, and left the ring. Joe put himself back down. This fight really was unbelievable.

When Joe emerged from the locker room, he found Piston Hondo sitting on the bench covered head to toe in silver glitter. "Qu'est-ce qui se passe a toi?" (What happened to you?)

Piston Hondo looked up at Joe with a scowl on his face. "ベスのエイプリルフールのトリックが何であったかを推測します." (Guess what Beth's April Fool's trick was.)

In spite of himself, Joe chuckled a bit. How did she manage to pull that off?

"İşte burada!" (There he is!) Before he knew what was going on, Bald Bull, Mr. Sandman, and Soda Popinski rushed Joe and beat him with pool noodles. Joe yelped, and made a run for it, breezing past Pierce on his great escape.

Pierce looked back at the rest of the boxers. "You guys really love April Fool's Day, don't you?"

"Geezers, what did Joey do to get the big guys on his tail?" Bear Hugger finally showed up to work…with black marker all over his face. The other boxers all burst out laughing at Cy's joke on his husband.

"Okay, can you all behave like adults for two seconds? I need to talk to you about something." Pierce checked over his notes. "We've got a new guy coming in sometime this week."

"Is that clown joining us?" Flying Feather asked.

"No, he's a transfer from the London league." Pierce looked up. "Mad Clown was a once-and-done thing. I don't even know where he disappeared to."

As soon as it passed his lips, Mad Clown snuck up on Pierce and honked his nose at him. Pierce yelped and jumped nearly a foot in the air. "...You son of a bitch."

By the next day, April Fool's was over, and the boxers had returned to their normal adult lives. "You should have seen it," laughed Katrina, "it was everywhere."

The boxers all laughed at the story of what happened at her school yesterday, while Don ignored them. He was instead googling that opera show Carmen had been excited to see that would be coming around in May.

He paused for a moment when he saw a picture of the star; Riccardo Accetta. For whatever reason, he looked oddly familiar…

Chapter Text

It was a warm April day. "Okay, and all this is correct?" Pierce was registering Narcis Prince for the WVBA, and needed to confirm all of his info.

"Indeed," said Narcis, with a sense of aloofness. Once the registering was completed, he primly walked to the door leading to the locker room.

…Except, this door did not lead to a locker room. Rather, it led to a lounge room, with pale blue painted walls, two squooshy brown couches, a TV, a fridge and counter, and some assorted posters on the walls. It looked…calming.

"There he is," said Bear Hugger. "Hey, Princey, you ready for your first fight with the WVBA?"

Narcis put his hand under his chin. Why, this was quite a far cry from his old league. "Of course I am," he said, trying to keep up his stoicism.

"По традиции каждый первый бой - Гласс Джо," said Soda Popinski. (It's tradition that everyone's first fight is Glass Joe.)

Narcis kept his poker face; judging eyes and an upturned nose. "Is that the fellow I fought at the tournament?"

"Yup," said Flying Feather. "He's in the locker room right now."

"Oh," said Narcis. He turned and exited the lounge. He felt a little more relaxed outside, where he didn't have to act unimpressed.

"In this corner, we have the WVBA's trooper, our unrelenting jobber, Glass Joe! And in this corner, we have the untouchable Royal Rusher, Narcis Prince! Fight!"

Now this was more like it. Narcis went through the fighting motions with ease. The lights, the ring, the gloves; this made sense to him.

Everything else? It was completely alien to him. Everyone was…nice to him. This wasn't like his old league at all.

And he liked it! It was nice to not have some massive blokes wearing him down with their constant shouting and name-calling, and to have privacy in the locker room. Why didn't he think of transferring sooner?

By the time he snapped back into reality, Joe was on the floor, and Pierce was declaring a knockout.

"James?"

Narcis jumped a bit when he heard his name (his actual name!) being called. Joe sat down on the locker room bench next to him. "Tu regardes stressé." (You look stressed.)

"I am, a little bit," said Narcis, shrinking into himself. "I don't know anyone, and I'm having a hard time finding food that doesn't upset my stomach."

He straightened his back. "But I do like this place. You lot aren't as boorish as my previous league." He leaned on Joe's shoulder. Joe put an arm around him.

As Narcis got up to leave, his stomach rumbled. Joe looked up. "Es-tu faim?" (Are you hungry?)

Narcis paused, but shyly nodded. Joe gestured for him to follow him. "Viens, on va trouver quelque chose pour manger." (Come on, we'll find you something to eat.)

In the lounge, Narcis decided on an apple to eat; he knew it wouldn't cause him any problems. Around that same time, a girl came into the room. Seeing as Joe went to hug her when he saw her, Narcis assumed she must be his daughter. "Katrina, tu reconnais James." (Katrina, you remember James.)

"Yeah," said Katrina, "I went shopping with his sister."

Of course. Lacey had come with him when he moved, but she opted to go live with a pen pal instead. He felt rather lonely without her. The other boxers noticed his crestfallen expression. Bear Hugger opened his arms, and Narcis couldn't help but lean in for a big bear hug, which Joe, Katrina, and Great Tiger joined in.

It was quite lovely. Finally, he could simply exist in a league without constant harassment. "Thank you," he mumbled softly.

"Don't mention it," said Bear Hugger, patting him on the back.

Chapter Text

"Viktor, je ne peux pas dormir." (Viktor, I can't sleep.)

It was very early on a June morning when Von Kaiser found himself staring at the ceiling. Confused, he turned over and looked at his husband. "Was ist los?" (What's wrong?)

"Je me réveille une heure en avance, et je ne peux pas retourner dormir." (I woke up an hour ago, and I can't go back to sleep.)

Von Kaiser sat up and rubbed his eyes. The clock read 5:49 am. He shrugged; it was at least a semi-reasonable hour to be up. "Komm, Joseph, wir gehen für ein frühes Frühstück nach unten." (Come on, Joseph, we'll go downstairs and have an early breakfast.)

Down in the kitchen with the stove light on, Joe, Von Kaiser, and Katrina were sitting at the table, with a third of an entire Frankel's mini chocolate cheesecake each. "Tu sais," said Joe, "ce cheesecake américain ne tombe pas entre les pièces si facile que la fiadone." (You know, this American cheesecake doesn't fall into pieces as easily as fiadone.)

The three picked apart their cheesecake quietly. "Alors, Katie," said Joe, "tu vas être en huitième année en septembre." (So, Katie, you'll be in Grade 8 in September.)

"Shh," said Katrina, "it's too soon to think about school."

"Sie hat Recht, weißt du," said Von Kaiser, "sie hat gerade am Freitag die siebte Klasse beendet." (She's right, you know, she just finished Grade 7 on Friday.)

After a bit, Von Kaiser noticed that Joe wasn't eating his cheesecake; just pushing it around and poking it with his fork. "Joseph, bist du in Ordnung? Wenn Sie satt sind, müssen Sie es nicht beenden." (Joseph, are you okay? If you're full, you don't have to finish it.)

"Non, ce n'est pas ça…" (No, it's not that…) Joe pursed his lips for a moment, then sighed. "Hier soir, je rêvais des propos de mon père." (Last night, I dreamed about my father.) He clenched his jaw. "Je ne peux pas m'arrêter. Je s'attaquer." (I couldn't stop myself. I attacked him.)

Von Kaiser looked understanding; far from the shock Joe expected from him. "Nun, Joseph, der Mann hat dich von Anfang an im Stich gelassen. Es ist normal, sich nachtragend zu fühlen." (Well, Joseph, the man abandoned you from the start. It's normal to feel resentful.)

Joe shook his head. "Je suis aigri, tellement aigri." (I am resentful, very resentful.) He looked up at Katrina, sighed, and put a hand over hers. "Quand tu étais un bebe, chaque fois que je sentir trop accablé, je me pousse parce que j'étais toujours pensé, 'je besoin d'être mieux que mon père'." (When you were a baby, every time I felt too overwhelmed, I pushed through because I was always thinking, 'I have to be better than my father'.)

He rubbed his eyes. "Le strict minimum. J'étais là pour ma fille, le strict minimum, et ce c'était suffisant." (The bare minimum. I was there for my daughter, the bare minimum, and that was enough.)

"Joseph, du hast mehr als das Nötigste getan. Du gibst jeden Tag alles für sie." (Joseph, you did more than the bare minimum. You go above and beyond for her every day.) Von Kaiser leaned in and kissed Joe's forehead.

"Besides," said Katrina, "it's not like you just dipped and ran off with someone way too young for you."

Von Kaiser was surprised at her choice of language, but Joe interrupted him before he could comment by stuffing a bite of cheesecake in his mouth. "Cheesecake, Viktor?"

Eventually, as the sun came up, all three finished their cheesecake breakfast. Joe yawned, and pulled himself up to go for a lie down to digest such a big meal.

Chapter Text

Part 1: Hairstyle

"July 7th, 2021 - Today, I turned thirteen and got my hair streaked."

After a morning of homemade pancakes and eggs, hugs from her dads, and all the loving texts she could ask for, Katrina was seated in a kitchen chair next to the sink with a towel around her neck. Annie and her mom, a hairdresser, had come over, and Mrs. Carmichael was going to put a blonde streak in Katrina's hair. "So it's just the one streak above your ear?"

"Yes," said Katrina. She didn't want to sit with her neck craned for hours on end. This would only take forty-five minutes.

Mrs. Carmichael applied the hair bleach into a strip of tin foil, which she folded over and into Katrina's hair. "Now, we gotta let it sit for twenty minutes before the blonde colouring can go on."

While they waited, Katrina and Annie watched funny cat videos. One had a small kitten running around under an oversized hat. Sofie-Miette darted her head all around, trying to find the source of the endless meowing.

When the twenty minutes were up, Mrs. Carmichael took the tin foil out, and Katrina's streak of hair tumbled out very light, almost white. Mrs. Carmichael then put the blonde colouring in a new strip of tin foil to finish the deal.

"Je suis tellement impressionné avec ton travail, Carey," sad Dad, looking at the website for the salon that Mrs. Carmichael worked at. "Tu peux vraiment créer un arc-en-ciel avec les cheveux de quelqu'un?" (I'm very impressed with your work, Carey. You can really create a rainbow with someone's hair?)

"Yup," said Mrs. Carmichael. "It's a pain and a half, but it's worth it to see them flaunting their hair like it's gold on a silver platter."

When the second twenty minutes had passed, Katrina's hair came out a rich golden blonde. "Merci, Carey," said Dad, giving Mrs. Carmichael twenty dollars. "Viens, on va trouver un déjeuner d'anniversaire." (Come on, let's go get birthday lunch.)

Part 2: Roses and Clovers

August is a lazy sort of month; everyone has all the time in the world to kick back and soak in some sun.

Well, today was certainly not a lazy day for Mr. Sandman or Li Wei. They had passed the final inspection for adoption, and were about to go and pick up their kids for the first time.

"গতিকে, আপুনি আপোনাৰ দেউতাকক লগ কৰিবলৈ সাজু নেকি?" (So, are you ready to meet your fathers?) Miss Sharma asked as the two kids packed up their things.

"Yes!" Trevor shouted.

"I can't wait to go to our new house," said Callie, zipping up her bag.

Once the two were ready, Miss Sharma led them to the lobby, where Li Wei and Mr. Sandman were waiting for them. The two kids rushed their new dads with big hugs.

"অভিনন্দন, হুইটিয়াৰছ। আপুনি আনুষ্ঠানিকভাৱে এটা পৰিয়াল।" (Congratulations, Whittiers. You're officially a family.) Miss Sharma gave the four of them a warm smile.

"Alright, let's go, kids," said Li Wei, hoisting Trevor up to sit on his shoulders. The four of them bundled into the car and headed home. Before Li Wei and Mr. Sandman had gone to get Callie and Trevor, Li Wei had just taken a batch of cookies made for his baking service out of the oven, and his first idea for father-child bonding time was to decorate them.

"I'm gonna use the pink one," said Callie, picking up the pink icing tube. Li Wei took the white tube, and Trevor, the blue tube. Li Wei had prepared pink, blue, and white icing for the cookies because the order was for a mother who wanted to celebrate with her son, who was recently out of the egg shell.

The next day, the kids accompanied Mr. Sandman to the arena for a match. "Do any of the other boxers have kids?" Callie asked.

"Yeah," mused Mr. Sandman. "Joey's got a thirteen-year-old, and Beth's got a daughter around your age."

When they got to the arena, they found that Flying Feather had brought in Emma that day as well. "So Mr. Sandman brought you and your brother home yesterday?"

"Uh huh," said Callie, while looking around at everything in the arena.

"That's cool," said Emma, "he and my mum are best friends."

The two of them talked about horses, and addition, and whatever else is on seven year old girls' minds, until they saw Don coming from the locker room. "That's Don Flamenco," said Emma to Callie. "He's going to fight your dad today."

"Well that's dumb," said Callie, "my dad is totally gonna win. Hey! Flamingo man!" She shouted to Don. "My daddy's gonna kick your butt!"

Bald Bull and Super Macho Man, who were leaning against a wall and talking, both burst out laughing at Don. "I can't believe you did that," giggled Emma.

"Alright, kids," said Pierce, herding the two of them into the children's room, "you're gonna stay in here until your parents are done working." He set the two girls, plus Trevor, in the children's room, and left Katrina to babysit them all.

"So your daddy's a boxer too?" Trevor asked Katrina, looking up at her with his big brown eyes.

"Yeah," said Katrina. "He's only at the bottom of the Minor Circuit, but he's been here since before I was born."

"Wow, that's a really long time," said Trevor. Katrina had to suppress her laughter at hearing a five-year-old call her father an old man.

Not much later, Mr. Sandman came back to get his kids. "Did you win, Daddy?"

"Sure did, munchkin," said Mr. Sandman. "Donny boy didn't know what hit him."

"Sé exactamente lo que me golpeó," said Don, coming to stand in the doorway covered in bruises. "¡Tu puño!" (I know exactly what hit me; your fist!)

"たぶん、世界チャンピオンと戦う前に、残りのメジャーサーキットを通過するのが最善でしょう." (Maybe it's best you go through the rest of the Major Circuit before you try fighting the World Champion.) Piston Hondo came up behind Don and put a hand on his shoulder. Don scowled at him, and stalked off.

"You're the coolest," said Callie, wrapping her arms around her father.

Mr. Sandman smirked. "Damn straight, kid. Damn straight."

Chapter Text

It was a clear-skied September morning, with the warm sun creeping up from beyond the horizon. Marguerite was woken up by Yves chattering from his room. He was excited to start Grade 1. She got up, put on her "first day of the first year of middle school" outfit (a dress with a purple top and rainbow striped skirt), and went downstairs, with Yves trailing not far behind her.

In the kitchen, her parents were making toast and sharing coffee. "Viens, manger," said Maman, "on va partir en quelques minutes." (Come on, eat, we're leaving in a few minutes.) Marguerite and Yves gobbled up their breakfast, got all their school things together, and went out to get into the car; Maman and Papa always drove them to school on the first day.

When they got to school, Marguerite spotted Katrina in the crowd of students. She ran up to her. "Je te dis que je vais être ici cette année!" (Told you I'd be here this year!)

"Hi," said Katrina, turning around. "Welcome to Blossomfall Middle School." She walked up the stairs into the school, with Marguerite tailing behind her.

"There's the cafeteria," said Katrina, "and there's the office, and…"

Her voice trailed off when she passed by a trio of girls. The three girls gave Katrina a snide look, and turned back to each other and whispered.

"Mean girls," said Katrina quietly. "That girl in the gray sweater is Claire Gwan. We used to be friends, until she changed. I stopped talking to her, and she started talking about me behind my back." She turned back for a second, then moved in closer to Marguerite. "The redhead is Sasha Cloverway. She's the one Claire replaced me with. And the other girl is Veronica Pensworthy. Steer clear."

Marguerite broke free from Katrina and checked each door in the Grade 6 wing until she found her homeroom. She went inside and picked a desk to sit at.

When the bell rang, the teacher came to the front of the room. "Mirmëngjes Klasë," she said. "Unë quhem zonja Shehu." (Good morning, class. My name is Mrs. Shehu.)

Before she could continue, the loudspeaker crackled to life and read off that morning's announcements. Marguerite didn't pay attention to any of them; they didn't really mean much to her.

After a few hours, it was lunchtime. Marguerite was liking middle school so far. She liked all of her teachers, and the work wasn't too hard. When she got to the cafeteria, she saw Katrina sitting with her friend and talking into her phone. She decided to go sit with her.

When she got to the seat, she found that Katrina was video-chatting with her dads. She poked her head into the camera field. "Ah, bonjour, Marguerite," said M. Beaufort when he saw her. "Comment ça va?" (How are you?)

"Ça va bien," said Marguerite. "J'aime l'école intermédiaire." (I'm good. I like middle school.)

"Haben Sie Herrn Forman?" M. Kaiser asked. "Katrina hatte ihn letztes Jahr." (Do you have Mr. Forman? Katrina had him last year?)

"Je ne sais pas," said Marguerite, "mais peut-être que je vais en avoir pour une de mes classes d'après-midi." (I don't know, but maybe I'll have him for one of my afternoon classes.) She then opened her lunch box to eat her ham sandwich.

It was now time for the last period of the day. For Marguerite, that was math. In the middle of class, the girl next to her tapped her shoulder. "Uyawuzwisisa umbuzo wesi-5?" (Do you understand question 5?)

"Tu as besoin de multiplier en premier, après ça soustraite." (You need to multiply first, then subtract.) Marguerite quickly showed her.

"Ngiyabonga," said the girl. "Mina nginguNora Madiba." (Thanks. I'm Nora Madiba.)

"Et je m'appelle Marguerite Vernier," said Marguerite. (And I am called Marguerite Vernier.)

At the end of the day, Marguerite found her bus and returned home. "Salut, miel," said Maman when she got inside. "Comment était l'école?" (Hi, honey. How was school?)

"Bon," said Marguerite, putting her bag down. "J'ai une nouvelle amie. Elle s'appelle Nora." (Good. I have a new friend. Her name is Nora.)

"Ca c'est bon," said Maman. "Veux-tu m'aider à cuire le dîner?" (That's good. Would you like to help me cook dinner?)

"Oui," said Marguerite. She went to the counter, and Maman handed her a cucumber to chop up.

Chapter Text

For thirteen years, Katrina Waters had grown up without her parents, only her mother's two best friends; her aunties, she called them. All through her life, Aunt Lizzie and Aunt Marlowe had told her that she was the daughter of Major Circuit champion Iron Bastille, but he wanted nothing to do with her.

Well, all that was about to change.

She had finally been able to escape the clutches of her horrid aunt, and now she was standing before the referee of the World Video Boxing Association. "And your stage name is…?"

"Spitfire Moon," she said confidently.

Pierce finished filling out the registration. "Alrighty. We can get you in for this evening; every newbie starts with Narcis Prince."

Spitfire Moon looked around the area. She could see a really tall guy with a long moustache, and a lean man wearing a turban and a feminist t-shirt, but no Iron Bastille. Her shoulders slumped. She just wanted to meet him and get it over with.

There he is!

Mere minutes remained before Spitfire Moon's first fight, and she had finally found Iron Bastille. She rushed over to him. "Excuse me?!"

Iron Bastille gave her a cold, annoyed look. "Qu'est-ce que tu veux?" (What do you want?)

"Don't walk away," said Spitfire Moon, "I want to talk to you."

Iron Bastille continued walking. "Je ne prends pas de photos." (I don't do pictures.)

Spitfire Moon furrowed her brow. "Excuse me, I work here, Dad."

Iron Bastille stopped, turned, and glared. "J'ai n'a pas des enfants." (I don't have children.)

"You do too, liar," said Spitfire Moon, glaring back, "you ditched me at the hospital, remember?"

Iron Bastille turned and continued to stalk away. Before Spitfire Moon could continue to prod him, Pierce called her to begin her match against Narcis Prince.

Spitfire Moon never thought she would actually win her first fight, but she still walked out of that ring victorious. Now she had to find Iron Bastille again. And there he was, about to leave. "Wait."

Iron Bastille scoffed and rolled his eyes. "J'ai déjà te dire, je ne suis pas ton père." (I've already told you, I'm not your father.)

"How would you know?" Spitfire Moon crossed her arms. "You didn't even bother taking the paternity test."

"Ecoutez, tu petite sale gamine," Iron Bastille spat, "je ne besoin pas toi de prendre soin de et détruite ma carrière." (Listen, you little brat, I don't need you to take care of and ruin my career.)

"Aunt Lizzie and Aunt Marlowe destroyed their careers to take care of me," snapped Spitfire Moon. "What, do their careers not matter as much as yours?"

"Tu veux agir comme une grande héroïne?" Iron Bastille towered over Spitfire Moon. "Tu peux me battre demain matin." (You want to act like a big heroine? You can fight me tomorrow morning.)

"What's going on here?" Pierce came over to break up the argument.

"Je vais battre cette fille première chose demain matin," said Iron Bastille. (I'm fighting this girl first thing tomorrow morning.)

"You can't fight your own children," nagged Spitfire Moon.

"Children?" Pierce looked at Iron Bastille, surprised.

"Elle n'est pas ma fille!" (She is not my daughter!)

"I am so, you coward!"

"Uh, Bas, we do have rules against fighting family members," said Pierce, trying to mediate.

"Forget it," said Spitfire Moon, stalking off to her locker. She put her head against the cold metal. She spent her whole life training so hard to get into the league and find her father…and that is what she gets? All that time wasted, all those years yearning.

She straightened up and furrowed her brow. She was just going to have to get better. Work hard, fight hard, and take the Major Circuit belt. It was going to be hell, but she had to do it.

For Mom.

Chapter Text

One day, when Piston Hondo came home from the arena, he found Grandma and Natsumi sitting side by side on the couch, talking about something. Natsumi looked fearful, while Grandma was gentle and soothing.

Piston Hondo was curious, but went to his room to change first. Once he had pulled his shirt back on, Grandma came knocking at his door. "リキ、 ダーリン、 居間に来てくれませんか? 私たちはあなたに伝えるべき重要なことを持っています." (Riki, darling, could you come to the living room? We have something important to tell you.)

Piston Hondo looked up, and followed his grandmother to the couch. He sat down. "それはなんですか?" (What is it?)

Natsumi looked up at her brother. "...あなたはおじです." (...You're an uncle.)

Piston Hondo's eyes went wide. An uncle? Natsumi was pregnant?! Were they being serious?!

Natsumi and Grandma watched for his reaction with bated breath. But Piston Hondo simply excused himself and went to his room.

A lot was going through his head. Pride; his sister was entering motherhood. Disappointment; she was so reckless, sleeping with someone she barely knew. Fear; what if she moved out? Togetherness; there was going to be a new member of the Kobayashi family. Really, there was too much going on in his head to nail down a precise response.

He jumped a bit when the door creaked open. "リキ、あなたはそのニュースに興奮するだろうと思いました." (Riki, I thought you would be excited about the news.)

Piston Hondo turned around to face his grandmother. "私はこれについて多くの複雑な感情を持っています." (I have a lot of mixed feelings about this.)

The two sat down on the bed for him to explain. "姪や甥がいて嬉しいですが、パーティーでしか見られない人と寝るのは、なつみにはまだ少し無謀でした." (I'm happy to have a nibling, but it was still a bit reckless of Natsumi to sleep with someone she's only met at parties.)

Grandma pursed her lips. "彼女は自分の保護が失敗したと私に言った." (She told me that her protection failed.)

Okay. That was good to know. "それでも、私は本当にお勧めしません." (Still, I really don't recommend that.)

They were both quiet for a bit, before Grandma continued. "明美がここにいたらよかったのに.'' (I just wish Akemi could have been here.)

Piston Hondo sighed. He wished their mother could have been around to meet her first grandchild too.

The door creaked again. Piston Hondo looked up, and saw Natsumi watching from the doorway. Piston Hondo sighed again, and gestured for her to come in and sit with them. "ほら、私はそれがどのように起こったかについてあまり熱心ではありませんが、あなたはまだ私の妹であり、その赤ちゃんはまだ私の姪または甥です." (Look, I'm not very keen on how it happened, but you're still my sister, and that baby is still my nibling.)

Natsumi scrunched up her face, before snapping. "私のためにこの赤ちゃんを運んでくれたらいいのに!" (I wish you could carry this baby for me!)

Her family was quite taken aback. They certainly hadn't expected her to say that. "なつみちゃん、本当ですか?" (Natsumi, do you really mean that?)

Natsumi was quiet for a moment. "...いいえ." (...no.) She leaned on her brother's shoulder. "私はこの赤ちゃんがとてもひどく欲しいです。 私は未来が怖いだけです." (I want this baby so badly. I'm just scared of the future.)

"どのくらい進んでいますか?" Piston Hondo asked. (How far along are you?)

Natsumi shrugged. " 3ヶ月." (Three months.)

" そうすれば、準備する時間は十分にあります." (Then you will have plenty of time to prepare.)

Grandma took Natsumi's hand. "私たちはあなたのそばにいるでしょう、私の愛." (We'll be right by your side, my love.) The three hugged each other.

The next morning, Piston Hondo went to the lounge first-thing rather than the locker room. "おはようございます," he said to the other boxers, "ニュースがあります." (Good morning, I have news.)

The other boxers looked up. "What's your news?" Katrina asked.

Piston Hondo gave a small smile. "私は姪か甥を持っているつもりです." (I'm going to have a nibling.)

"Ah, félicitations!" (Oh, congratulations!)

Bear Hugger slapped him hard on the back. "Hey, good fer you, hoser!"

Great Tiger hugged his best friend. "ओह, रिकी, यह बहुत अच्छी खबर है!" (Oh, Riki, that's wonderful news!)

Piston Hondo hugged him back. "私は自分の睡眠スケジュールのためにしか祈ることができません." (I can only pray for my sleep schedule.)

Chapter Text

It was an empty-skied morning. Katrina was entering the school to go to homeroom when she passed by the "falsehood coolness" girls; girls who thought they were cool when they were really just mean. Veronica Pensworthy, Sasha Cloverway, and...

Even though it ha been going on for a while, she still felt a little cold inside when she saw Claire with those girls; her heart stung when she saw her give her an icy glance, then whisper to the other girls and giggle.

Whatever. She shook her head and continued walking. Who cares about what Claire and those mean girls think, anyway?

After an uneventful first few periods, it was lunchtime. Katrina chose a nice, open space at a table to sit down and eat. She opened her phone camera and took a selfie to send to her fathers; she did this about once a week, because she knew it made them feel loved.

"So, you're coddling your dad's feelings again?"

Katrina looked over her shoulder. Claire was standing over her, reading her texts. Katrina flipped her phone screen down on the table and glared at her.

"I swear, he needs a life or something," continued Claire, "he's absolutely obsessed with you."

Katrina was shocked and offended. Dad wasn't obsessed with her; he just loved her like any parent should!

"Oh, come on, you can't tell me it's not creepy," said Claire when she saw Katrina's appalled expression. "If he needs a woman in his life so badly, he should get a girlfriend."

Oh, that was enough. Katrina put her lunch back together and got up. "Sorry my dads love me," she said coldly as she went to find a new seat.

At the end of the day, Katrina was getting her things out of her locker when Claire came back for another go at her. "So is it true that your room has a camera in it?"

Katrina ignored her. The only camera in the house was the one on the front steps that Dad put in after Laura had tried to have him arrested. She closed her locker and clicked the lock shut.

"Come on," said Claire, following her, "you've never heard of spousification? Your dad can't get over your mom dying and he's projecting that onto you. It's wrong."

"He barely knew my mom," said Katrina, hoping to get her to back off, "and neither did I. We get on fine."

"Yeah, right," said Claire, continuing to badger her, "he only cares about you so much cause he knows he'll never get another woman.

"He's married," said Katrina, "he married my stepdad like over a year ago."

Now it was Claire's turn to be surprised. "What, that moustache loser from his work? God, was he that desperate? Is that how terrible he is at the dating game?"

"Vati cares about me more than you ever have!" Katrina whirled around in a fit of rage. "He's been in my life since I was six months old, and he's going to stay in my life for a very long time. You, on the other hand, can go back to whatever rock you've been living under to think you're still my friend, because you're clearly not!" She hauled her bag over one shoulder and stormed off.

When Katrina got home, she shut the door a little too harshly and stormed into the kitchen, where her fathers were.

"He, kleine," said Vati, not looking up from his papers. (Hey, kiddo.)

"Tu regardes bouleverse," said Dad, "qu'est-ce qui se passe?" (You look upset, what happened?)

Katrina slammed her lunchbox on the table. "I hate Claire Lenore Gwan!"

Dad and Vati both stared at her. Now they were both listening. Dad took the seat next to Vati and they both pried further to get answers out of her.

Katrina sighed. "She wouldn't stop harassing me all day." She looked up at Dad. "She keeps insisting you're some kind of creep just because you love me."

Dad was taken aback. Before he could properly respond, his phone buzzed with a notification.

realkevinsnow_ sent: hey are you katrinas dad (3:11 pm)

joebeaufort84 sent: Oui (3:11 pm)

realkevinsnow_ then sent him a video of Claire's confrontation with Katrina. It began with the spousification comment and ended a little after Katrina had left, focusing on Claire going over to Sasha and not-quite whispering "what a bitch".

Dad and Vati were shocked at what they were seeing; Dad most of all. He put a hand over his mouth. Vati was simply angry. He sighed and put an arm around his stepdaughter. "Sie kann dir diese Dinge nicht sagen." (She cannot say those things to you.)

"I know," griped Katrina. "I swear, it's like she enjoys making me miserable."

They then noticed that Dad was getting more and more notifications from students at Katrina's school. Most of them said a variation of "she didn't do it". Eventually, Janet Bernard sent him a concerning post from Claire's page; an unflattering picture of Katrina clearly taken without her knowledge with the caption "hate this r!cist bish 💀". Now they understood; Claire had gone online claiming Katrina was racist to try and throw her under the bus. Vati was right furious; he opened his email to talk to the principal.

From: Viktor Von Kaiser, 1MIC

To: Abramo De Lorenzo

Subject: Katrina

Hallo,

Heute kam meine Stieftochter zu mir und sagte, sie würde von einer anderen Schülerin gemobbt. Die andere Studentin hat sie in den Fluren und online belästigt. (Today my stepdaughter came to me saying she was being bullied by another student. The other student has harassed her in the halls and online.)

Das ist absolut inakzeptabel und muss aufhören. Ich hoffe, von Ihnen oder einem anderen Fakultätsmitglied zu hören, wie Sie diese Situation beheben können. (This is absolutely unacceptable and needs to stop. I am hoping to hear back from you or another faculty member about how to fix this situation.)

Respektvoll,

Viktor

Sent at 3:17 pm, November 4th, 2021

Vati also attached copies of the video and the post. After he sent it, he sighed and shook his head. "Manche Kinder sind einfach böse, das sage ich dir." (Some kids are just evil, I'll tell you that.)

A little bit later, Vati got a response.

From: Abramo De Lorenzo

To: Viktor Von Kaiser, 1MIC

Subject: Re: Katrina

Ciao Viktor,

Grazie per averci contattato. Mi fa sempre piacere vedere genitori che vogliono aiutare i propri figli. (Thank you for reaching out. I always enjoy meeting parents who want to help their children.)

Per favore, vieni domani; L'insegnante di Katrina terrà una riunione. (Please come in tomorrow; Katrina's teacher will be holding a meeting.)

Grazie di nuovo, (Thanks again,)

Abramo

Sent at 3:59 pm, November 4th, 2021

Vati sighed and put an arm around Katrina. "Es wird okay sein." (It will be okay.) Sofie-Miette rubbed her head on Katrina's leg.

The next day, when Katrina entered her homeroom, some of the kids came over to her. "Hey," said a girl named Masako, "we didn't believe the post."

"Claire's been mean to everyone since Grade 6," said Harry.

"I think half the grade has seen the video," said Jackson.

"Yeah, Kevin's a bro," said Harry.

"So how are your dads?" Masako asked.

"Good," said Katrina. "They were pretty upset about the video, though."

"Of course they would be," said Kevin, walking into the class. "Who wants to hear someone call their daughter the b-word?"

Just then, Mrs. Bowen entered the classroom with the photocopied worksheets she'd gone to pick up from the office. The other kids moved in a bit closer to Katrina. Mrs. Bowen kneeled down by Katrina's desk. "Trina, honey, I know you're probably very upset right now, but I've talked to Mr. De Lorenzo, and he's making sure you aren't getting in trouble. We watched the video, you didn't do anything wrong, and you certainly didn't say anything racist."

"Claire was twistin' words," said Masako. "She was telling people Trina told her to go back to her own country."

"Why would she try to say that?" Harry stood up. "Both of Trina's parents are immigrants."

"Really? I didn't know that," said Kevin.

"Yeah," said Katrina. "Dad's from France and Vati's from Germany."

"Exactly," said Mrs. Bowen, "so Katrina would especially know how hurtful that kind of language would be."

Katrina sat up straighter. She felt a lot better knowing that so many people were standing up for her.

"Please excuse the interruption, at the bell, could Katrina Beaufort, Claire Gwan, and Kevin Snow please go to Mrs. Bowen's room."

Now that school was over, it was time to have a special parent-teacher conference. Dad and Vati came, as did Claire and Kevin's parents, Daisy, and Kevin's little brother Mikey, who was Daisy's best friend. Once everyone had sat down, and once Daisy and Mikey were settled in the back with some colouring pages, Mrs. Bowen stood at the front to start the conference. "So, I'm sure everyone already knows why we're here. Let's get to the bottom of this."

"My daughter came home from school yesterday telling us that Joseph is not treating his daughter right, and Katrina is lashing out because of it," said Mrs. Gwan coldly.

Katrina saw Dad recoil with shock when he heard that. Vati squeezed his hand.

"I just don't understand," said Mrs. Gwan-Jameson, looking crestfallen. "I always thought Joey was such a nice person, I can't imagine him being like that."

Mrs. Bowen turned to Katrina and her fathers. "Mr. Beaufort, Mr. Kaiser, do you have anything to say about that?"

"Quand elle était en sixième année, Katrina me dit qu'elle ne voulait pas être amies avec Claire non plus," said Dad. "Elle me déclare qu'elle fait toujours des commentaires impolis." (When she was in Grade 6, Katrina told me that she didn't want to be friends with Claire anymore. She said that she was always making rude comments.)

"Das ist lächerlich," said Vati. "Mein Mann hat seine Tochter nie misshandelt und meine Stieftochter hat nichts falsch gemacht." (This is ridiculous. My husband never mistreated his daughter, and my stepdaughter hasn't done anything wrong.)

"Miel…" (Honey…) Dad put a hand on Vati's shoulder to calm him down before continuing. "J'adore ma petite fille. Je vais être perdue sans elle." He gave Mrs. Gwan a stern look. "D'être franque, je suis extrêmement offende que ta fille pense que ma famille et nos dynamiques sont ses affaires." (I love my little girl. I would be lost without her. Frankly, I'm extremely offended that your daughter thinks my family and our dynamics are her business.)

"Um, excuse me," said Mrs. Snow, raising a hand, "what do we have to do with this?"

"This is where you come in," said Mrs. Bowen. "Your son filmed a video about yesterday's encounter that set the story straight." She pulled up Kevin's video on the projector, which all the parents watched.

Once the video was complete, Mrs. Bowen turned back to the Snows. "First off, Mr. and Mrs. Snow, I want to extend my praises to your son for sending us the video."

Kevin jumped in. "I saw Claire going to Katrina and I thought something was gonna happen, so I took out my phone to get a video in case Claire tried to get Trina in trouble."

"And we're very grateful for it," said Mrs. Bowen. "Without it, I think some teachers would very well have punished Katrina for it."

"Do you not see how he treats her?!" Claire stood up from her seat. "He's literally always got his hands on her. He acts like she's his wife!"

"Rede nicht so über meinen Mann!" (Do not talk about my husband like that!) Dad wrapped his arms around Vati to keep him from getting up.

"That's enough," said Mrs. Bowen. "We're looking into this, and we can assure you the wronged party will not be punished. Mr. Beaufort, Mr. Kaiser, Mr. and Mrs. Snow, you're free to leave if you wish."

Katrina could tell Vati wanted to stay, but Dad took his hand and led him out of the classroom.

"That's my boy," said Mr. Snow on the way out of the school, patting Kevin on the back. "Say, why don't we all go get an early dinner? My treat."

And after the stressful day they'd just been through, Katrina, Dad, and Vati just had to say yes.

Chapter Text

It was the weekend, and Joe had put together a nice breakfast of eggs and French toast. However, Katrina had not come downstairs to eat yet, and he didn't want to start without her, so he went upstairs to her bedroom to fetch her.

When he peeked through the crack left open by her ajar door, he saw her still laying in bed, scrolling through her phone with a crestfallen look on her face. He suspected she was upset about what had happened the past few days. He slipped into the room to talk to her. "Chérie?"

Katrina looked up at her father, and sat up. "Why do people change, Daddy?"

Joe sighed and sat down on her bed. "Je ne sais pas, ma belle. Peut-être que quelques enfants sont nés terribles." (I don't know, sweetie. Maybe some kids are just born rotten.)

Katrina shifted over and put her head on her father's shoulder. "It wasn't always like this."

Joe put an arm around his daughter. "J'ai une histoire de quand j'étais ton âge, et j'avais un problème d'amitié…" (I have a story from when I was your age, and I had a friendship problem…)

"C'est tout commencé avec un garcon." (It all started with a boy.)

Many years ago - in fact, it was 1997, Joe was in the seventh grade, and a new boy named William had recently started attending his school on Monday. Joe found himself fascinated by William; his hair was never messy, he knew everything about science that a kid could know, and he knew how to fish.

Joe really wanted to be friends with William, and he figured that to do that, he'd need to do something to really impress him. Well, William came here from London, so Joe decided he would teach himself English. All through Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, he obsessively read through English books to teach himself pronunciation and sentence structure. By Friday, he had a decent grasp on how to speak the language.

Joe waited for William to come out of the building after school, and when he did, he went over to him. "Good afternoon, William," he said shyly. "I think you are really cool and want to know if we can be friends."

"Oh, it's the aft-air-noon, is it?" William snarked, mocking Joe's accent. "If you're going to speak to me, I expect you to do it properly." He stuck his nose in the air and walked away without another word.

Joe watched William walk away, crushed. "Cretin," sneered another boy, shoving him on his way out.

And so that night, Joe went home and cried into his pillow. When Amélie came to fetch him for dinner, she put her hand on his back, as she always did. However, she was far from prepared for what Joe would tell her happened that day. Normally, Joe got upset over relatively small things, but this? "Oh, mon Joseph." She held him closely. "Ton voix et ton accent sont beaux, juste comme ils sont. Et tu apprends quelque chose de très compliquée." (Your voice and your accent are beautiful, just as they are. And you learned something very complicated.)

Joe didn't really listen to the rest of what his mother said. He just laid his head on her shoulder and let the rest of his tears fall.

"Je crois que le message ici, c'est que quelque fois, il va être les personnes qui ne t'aime pas, mais c'est ne te rend pas une mauvaise personne. Tu as aussi beaucoup d'amis qui t'aiment, et même si tu n'avais rien d'amis, tu y vas même moi, et Viktor, et tes grand mères, et toute ta famille." (I believe my message here is that sometimes, there will be people who don't like you, but that doesn't make you a bad person. You also have lots of friends who like you, and even if you didn't have any friends, you'd still have me, and Viktor, and your grandmothers, and all of your family.)

Almost as soon as Joe had spoken his name, Von Kaiser came upstairs. "Was, bist du hier oben eingeschlafen? Dein Frühstück wird kalt." (What, did you fall asleep up here? Your breakfast is getting cold.)

"It's fine, Vati," said Katrina, getting up. "We'll just nuke it in the microwave." She trailed downstairs after her stepfather, and Joe, happy that he had cheered his daughter up, followed.

Chapter Text

It was the first day of December. Snow hadn't come yet, but a thin layer of frost covered almost everything. The Beauforts were arriving at the arena for that evening's matches.

"You've got a special fight today, Joey," said Pierce. "We've got a singer coming in for a promotional stunt."

"Vraiment? Génial," said Joe. "qui?" (Really? Cool, who?)

As soon as he said it, he got his answer when a tall man with dreadlocks emerged from the locker room. He came over to shake Joe's hand. "I'm Bob Charlie, brother," he said. "I'm here to promote my new album."

"What does boxing have to do with your music?" Katrina asked.

"My new album's called Champions," said Bob, "and one of the songs references boxing. It's a golden opportunity, child."

Katrina cocked her head, but shrugged and went to take her seat in the audience. Joe shook his head and went to change into his boxing uniform.

"In this corner, we have the WVBA's trooper, our unrelenting jobber, Glass Joe! And in this corner, we have a special guest, popular reggae singer, Bob Charlie! Fight!"

The fight began. Bob mumbled the lyrics to one of his songs under his breath as he went through the motions. Despite never boxing before, he really seemed to know what he was doing, and Joe went down.

"One. …Two. …Three."

Joe pulled himself up and went in for a hook. Bob jumped out of the way and stumbled a bit, but regained his balance and hit back with a shuck 'n' jive.

Joe couldn't help but notice that the crowd was extra loud during this match. Of course; Bob Charlie was popular, so he must be a huge crowd-drawer. He was distracted long enough for Bob to knock him down again.

"One. …Two. …Three. …Four."

Joe got back up, a little winded. He could tell he was out of it as he threw some more punches, which felt weaker than normal. Bob wasn't fighting back. When Joe looked up to see what was wrong, Bob punched him hard in the guts.

Yeah, he was definitely gonna be feeling that in the morning. "Bon travail..." (Nice job...) He said in a pained voice as he fell down. TKO.

When Joe was coming out of the locker room, there was a small crowd surrounding Bob, getting autographs and snapping pictures. "Bob, is it true that you were the Jive King of Kingston?"

"Of course," said Bob. "I was quite the dancer, see?"

When he saw Joe, he put an arm around him. "You're a good friend, Joey. I hope I'll be seeing you more often."

Joe was a little flustered from all the commotion, so he gave a quiet merci before breaking free to find his family. Around the same time, Great Tiger was coming out of the locker room for his match against Bear Hugger. And when he saw Bob standing there, he fainted!

"Nun, Joseph, ich weiß nicht, wie viele von uns sagen können, dass sie von einer Berühmtheit verprügelt worden," said Von Kaiser when Joe found him and Katrina. (Well, Joseph, I don't know how many of us can say we've been beaten up by a celebrity.)

"Eh bien," said Joe, "je suppose que sa victoire va mieux vendre son album." (Well, I guess his victory will sell his album better.) He took his family to go get dinner started.

Chapter Text

It was March 3rd, which is an average day to most, but it was very important to one Don Flamenco; it was Carmen's birthday, and he vowed to make it fantastic.

He had it all planned out; after his five o'clock match against Great Tiger, they would go for an evening out at her favourite chilli place, and after their meal, they would return home for a night of her favourite soaps, chocolate, and sweet, sweet passion.

Arriving at the arena, he had an air of confidence surrounding him. And why wouldn't he? He was fighting for his love! Why, in no time, that little kitty cat will be face down on the mat!

"In this corner, we have the rose's thorn, the fastest dancer this side of Madrid, Don Flamenco! And in this corner, we have the roaring magician from far out in Mumbai, Great Tiger! Fight!"

Don hopped into position. He was continuously bouncing on his toes, itching for victory. When Great Tiger tried to throw his first jab, Don countered back with a tough hook. Even though Great Tiger disappeared for a moment after each hit, it didn't stop Don. There is one thing Romeo Alonzo Cabello is not, and that is a coward!

And down went Great Tiger for his first knockdown. At the count of four, he got back up. However, Don had been watching some of his previous matches, and knew that the gem in Great Tiger's turban always blinked before he attacked. Whenever that flash of white came, Don jumped in for a punch.

Now it was Great Tiger's turn to mess with Don. He cloned himself, and he and his clones hopped back and forth to confuse Don. However, Don was wise to his tricks, and knew that the more brightly-coloured Great Tiger was the real one, and jabbed him right in the gem when he came forward to hit him. This caused Great Tiger to blink back and forth into the ring until eventually falling down and blinking away. Knockout.

The audience went wild, and tossed about a dozen roses to Don. Don raised his arms and puffed his chest, adoring the praise he was getting.

When Don made it to the lounge, a handful of other boxers were talking about the match. "Tu étais fantastique," said Joe, shaking Don's hand. (You were fantastic.)

"Gracias," said Don. "Estoy seguro de que mi amor está orgulloso de mí." (Thank you. I'm sure my love is proud of me.) He looked around. "¿Dónde está Gran Tigre?" (Where is Great Tiger?)

"Pierce is still looking for him," said Katrina, not looking up from her phone. "He thinks he may have teleported himself out of the building."

Don looked surprised, but played it off and chuckled awkwardly. "Si no te importa, mi amada Carmen me está esperando." (If you don't mind, my beloved Carmen is waiting for me.) He strutted out of the lounge.

Within a half hour, Don and Carmen were nuzzled into a booth at the chilli place. Carmen laid her head on Don's shoulder, and Don put an arm around her and kissed the top of her forehead.

Soon, their chilli bowls came, and they began to eat. Carmen blissfully savoured the taste. She could pick out almost every different ingredient; tomatoes, beef, beans, onions, with a dash of celery and salt to taste.

A bit into the meal, she noticed that Don was a rather slow eater, and kept putting his fist over his mouth. "¿Pasa algo, cariño?" (Is something wrong, sweetie?)

"Ay, uh…" Don leaned in, clearly embarrassed. "Este chile me está dando gases." (This chilli is making me gassy.) A small burp escaped him, and he went as red as the food in front of him.

Carmen just giggled. "Oh, tú y tu delicado estómago." (Oh, you and your delicate stomach.)

"¡No tengo un estómago delicado!" Don was getting his feathers in a ruffle. "Yo solo... no como chili a menudo." (I don't have a delicate stomach! I just…I don't eat chilli often.)

The moment they got home, Don let up the burp he'd been holding back from the chilli place and on the drive home. Carmen was surprised. "¡Realmente no comes chile a menudo!" (You really don't eat chilli often!)

Don suppressed his embarrassment by drawing her attention towards the television. "Gran Hotel; tu telenovela favorita." (Grand Hotel; your favourite telenovela.)

The two snuggled together to start the show. Don had set out Carmen's favourite kind of chocolates and two glasses of wine, with the bottle nearby ready for refills.

As the night progressed, many laughs were had, and tears were shed. Carmen was falling asleep on Don's shoulder, and so he picked her up and cradled her in his arms. "Feliz cumpleaños, mi amor." (Happy birthday, my love.)

Chapter Text

This isn't happening. This can't be happening!

Pierce was staring at him. King Hippo was staring at him. A whole crowd of people, all staring at him.

And there he was, James Vincent Prince, standing shakily in a puddle of his own vomit.

It had all happened so suddenly; right in the middle of a match, Narcis had been overwhelmed by a heave in his stomach, and before he knew it, his throat expelled bile and fluids all over himself. 

Pierce jumped into action. "It's over! TKO! King Hippo wins by default!" He called over the medic to handle Narcis. The medic took Narcis to the back room to have some medicine and get cleaned up, while Pierce radioed a bouncer to mop up the mess in the ring.

When Narcis emerged from the medic's office, pale in the face and woozy, Bear Hugger picked him up and hauled him over his shoulder. "Come on, let's get you home." Everyone was still staring as they left the arena. This was the most humiliating thing to happen to anyone ever!

Once Bear Hugger got him home and to bed safely, Narcis opened his phone to message Lacey.

James sent: Can you come over? (5:29 pm)

. . .

Lacey sent: Sure (5:37 pm)

Lacey sent: Why? (5:38 pm)

James sent: I'm not well. (5:38 pm)

Lacey sent: Okay I will be there soon (5:39 pm)

Once sending the message, Narcis huddled into his bed. He wished he had never taken that match today. He wished he'd decided not to leave the house after that queasy feeling began to set in that morning, before he could make any breakfast.

He wished he could disappear.

The next morning - a Saturday, while she was eating her cereal, Katrina spied her father pouring some ginger tea into a thermos. "What are you doing?"

"Je vais visiter James," said Joe. "Ce thé va l'aider à se sentir mieux." (I'm going to visit James. This tea will help him feel better.) He packed the thermos into a small travel bag.

"Dem kleinen Kerl ist es wahrscheinlich sehr peinlich wegen gestern," said Von Kaiser, taking a sip of his coffee. "Ich wette, er wird es wirklich zu schätzen wissen." (The little guy is probably very embarrassed about yesterday. I bet he'll really appreciate it.)

Joe hauled his bag over his shoulder and set off, and when he arrived at his destination, he knocked on the door. A teenage girl answered; Lacey, if he remembered correctly. "Hello," said Lacey. "What brings you here?"

"Je viens pour visiter James." (I came to visit James.)

"Oh, he's in bed," said Lacey, bringing him inside. "I came up to look after him until he's feeling better. Last night, he cried ever so much. He told me he won't ever box again."

Never box again? Why, that sounded very serious. Lacey led Joe to Narcis's bedroom, where Narcis was laying down, asleep, with one hand over his heart and the other on his forehead. He looked like something out of Romeo and Juliet.

Joe nudged Narcis. "James?"

Narcis blinked his eyes open and looked up at Joe. "Oh, Joseph, it's terrible," he whimpered. "I shall never enter the ring again."

A sting of dread ran through Joe's heart. "Pourquoi pas, est-ce que c'est sérieux?" (Why not, is it serious?)

"Oh, it's most serious," said Narcis, pushing himself upwards. "Didn't you see how everyone was looking at me? I'll never show my face in that arena again."

"Oh, James, mon gars," said Joe, putting an arm around the smaller lad, "ce n'était pas vraiment si pire." (Oh, James, buddy, it wasn't really that bad.)

Narcis sniffled weakly. "Have you ever been sick in the middle of a match?"

"Bien sûr," chuckled Joe. "C'était une de mes premières batailles, et j'ai mangé quelque chose de bizarre ce matin." (Of course. It was one of my first matches, and I had eaten something weird that morning.)

Narcis swabbed at his nose. He was very quiet. He supposed it wasn't that bad if he wasn't the first to do it, but he was still very iffy on coming back.

"Je vais te raconter une histoire. Quelques années en passe, je suis tombé malade, et Viktor me rend visite pour me prendre soin. Nous n'étions pas marié quand c'est se passe, alors c'était un gros gesture pour moi. Je pense que c'était le moment de réaliser que j'étais vraiment en amour avec lui." (Let me tell you a story. Several years ago, I fell sick, and Viktor came over to look after me. We weren't married when this happened, so it was a big gesture for me. I think that was the moment that I realized I was really in love with him.)

Joe brushed a lock of hair from Narcis's eyes, and this time, Narcis didn't fuss about it. "Nous tenons à nous autres dans cette league, James. Je peux t'assurer qu'il n'a va etre un probleme quand tu retourner." (We care about each other in this league, James. I can assure you, there won't be a problem when you come back.)

Narcis clung a bit closer to Joe. "It's certainly not becoming for a Prince. I bet if Mum were here, she would have been right furious."

Not quite knowing how to respond to that, Joe opened up his bag and offered Narcis the tea. Narcis took the thermos and (dare I say) gingerly sipped on the sweet beverage. Lacey then came into the room and sat at the foot of the bed. "Are you really sure you're going to leave the league?"

"No," mumbled Narcis. "I think I'm going to go back."

"You're sure?" Lacey cocked an eyebrow. "You were so certain about quitting last night.

"It's okay. I think I'll be alright now." Narcis yawned and rubbed his eyes. Joe had him finish the tea before he fell back asleep.

Some days later, Narcis had recovered, and made it to the arena. He was expecting that the other boxers would pick on and mock him over what happened, but instead, they seemed to mostly ignore him. "There he is," said Bear Hugger. "Told ya he'd be back by Wednesday."

King Hippo picked Narcis up and squeezed him. "ああ, 優しい, ルル," said Piston Hondo, looking up from the bench he was sitting on. "彼はまだかなり壊れやすいかもしれません." (Oh, gentle, Lulu. He may still be rather fragile.)

"So," said Super Macho Man with a smirk, "you gonna toss your guts in the ring again today?"

Mr. Sandman cuffed him upside the head. "Quit it."

Narcis looked around, and went over to Pierce. "Is Joseph here yet? I really must thank him for encouraging me to come back."

"He's not gonna be in today," said Pierce…

"...he called in sick!"

Chapter Text

It was a warm March morning. Mrs. Bowen was taking attendance.

"Masako Fujimoto."

"Here."

Katrina glanced to the side, and saw Missy Daley whispering something to Harry. Harry listened, and when Missy finished, a big smile spread across his face. He gave Missy a thumbs up.

"Alma Getty."

"Here."

Katrina was curious. What could they be whispering?

"Phillip Yellen."

"Here."

"That's everyone," said Mrs. Bowen, closing her attendance duotang. "Alright, kids, get out your work journals."

Later, in Mr. Tate's science class, while everyone was working, Katrina turned to Annie. "Do you know what's up with Missy?"

"No," said Annie, "what?"

"I don't know," said Katrina, "but she's got some kind of good news, and I want to know what it is."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Missy sitting with Masako, Janet, and Annaliese McIntire. They were excitedly chattering about something, but Katrina couldn't make out what it was over the other noise.

"Hey, there's a soccer game after school," said Kevin, interrupting Katrina's train of thought. "Are you coming?"

"Probably not," said Katrina, "both of my dads are sick. Vati got it on Monday, and then this morning, Dad was hurling. If my guess that it's a pattern is right, then I probably won't be at school on Friday."

Please, if someone's out there listening, make it stop.

Joe was snuggled into Von Kaiser's lap with a blanket wrapped around him. He felt horrible; absolutely horrendous. He felt like if he moved even an iota, he would throw up.

"Joseph, du zitterst," said Von Kaiser softly. (Joseph, you're trembling.)

Was he? He hadn't noticed. He smushed his face into his husband's chest and softly moaned.

"Du großes Baby," chuckled Von Kaiser, rubbing his back. (You big baby.)

By the time that last period came along, Katrina was about to burst. She must be the only person in the class who didn't know about Missy's big news!

"Miss Daley," said Mr. Horwitz when Missy couldn't stop giggling with her friends, "is there something on your mind that's more important than your lessons?"

"Yeah, actually," said Missy. She stood up. "My sister's getting married!"

The entire class erupted into cheers. Mr. Horwitz was impressed. "Wow. I don't get many kids who can give such a good reason to be distracted. Good for your sister!"

Just then, Mrs. Bowen came in. "What's with all the yelling? I could hear you across the hall!"

"Her sister's getting married!" Uma Peppers piped up.

"Really?" Mrs. Bowen was impressed. "Which one, Kacey or Sienna?"

"Sienna," said Missy, bouncing in her seat.

"I taught Sienna during my first year as a teacher," said Mrs. Bowen, "good for her!"

When Katrina came home, Vati was sitting on the couch, with Dad curled up in his lap looking miserable. They were both watching old reruns of Life with Johnny in California. "Hi," said Katrina softly, "how are you both doing?"

"Ich fühle mich besser," said Vati, "aber dein Vater nicht." (I'm feeling better, but your father isn't.) In response to that, Dad weakly groaned.

Katrina kissed both her fathers on the forehead. "Love you, daddy. Love you, Vati." She then went upstairs to do her homework.

Chapter Text

Part 1: Baby Trap

It was a cloudy April afternoon. Louise was at the grocery store, comparing two brands of milk to see which had more calcium, when a woman approached her. "Are you Louise Sanders?"

"Yes," said Louise, "why?"

The woman extended a hand. "Remember me? I'm Marlowe Watson, I was Heather's roommate. I found this post that she was tagged in on FriendFindr this morning, and…I think you better take a look at it."

Marlowe showed the picture to Louise. When she saw it, her heart sank. "Oh. Oh my god."

"I know," said Marlowe. "I couldn't quite believe it either."

Louise took out her own phone. "I better call Joey."

"Please do," said Marlowe, this could wreck his whole life."

At the Beaufort residence, Joe picked up his phone to answer the call. "Bonjour?"

"Hi, Joey," said Louise, "this is Louise. Do you mind if Marlowe and I swing by for dinner tonight? I'll bring over rocky road squares."

"Ah, ça sonne merveilleux," said Joe. "Arrive ici à cinq heures." (Oh, that sounds wonderful. Be here at five o'clock.)

After a few more pleasantries, Louise hung up and looked up at Marlowe. "This is gonna crush him."

Later that day, at five o'clock as agreed, Louise and Marlowe arrived with rocky road squares and a veggie tray. After a brief session of pleasantries and petting Sofie-Miette, Joe ushered them inside to the kitchen, and the five of them all sat down to eat.

"C'était tellement longtemps que je te vois dernier," said Joe to Marlowe. (It's been such a long time since I last saw you.)

"Yeah," said Marlowe. "We really should hang out more, I had such a good time at your wedding."

"Joey, there's something very serious I wanted to talk to you about," said Louise, "something that I can't just say over the phone." She shrunk into herself. Suddenly she wasn't so sure if he was ready to hear it. Her mind was a hurricane of pros and cons. Yes. No. Yes. No.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" (What is it?)

"Joey, Laura's pregnant."

Joe's heart went cold and his eyes went wide. Katrina's jaw dropped. Von Kaiser was confused, if anything else. "Was bedeutet das für uns?" (What does that mean for us?)

Marlowe showed them the post; it was an ultrasound picture. In the caption, Laura had written "can't wait to meet you joey jr 💖". The comments had all been blowing up with questions, and as a response, Laura was claiming that Joe had proclaimed his love for her over Heather and was the father of her child.

"Joey Jr.?!" Von Kaiser was enraged. "Sie hat kein Recht, das zu sagen!" (She has no right to say that!) He turned to Joe, who looked like he was about to go into a panic attack, and moved closer to him and put an arm around him. "Es ist in Ordnung, Joseph. Wir werden das klären." (It's okay, Joseph. We'll sort this out.)

"You had better do something fast," said Louise. "Considering the stunt she pulled a few years ago, I just know she's going to use that baby to weasel her way back into your lives."

"What can we do?" Katrina was very worried.

"Joey, Viktor, tomorrow, you go straight to whoever's running the show at your arena and tell them about this. They'll make a public statement about it, and that'll hopefully get Laura to stop. Katrina, honey, you talk to your teachers about this, and if you don't see the baby as your cousin, you're completely allowed to feel that way." Louise was serious; she knew her daughter well.

"Well, it's not the baby's fault," said Katrina.

Louise relaxed her shoulders. "I know it is, but we just can't meet them. It's not safe."

The next day, just as planned, Joe and Von Kaiser went to talk to Pierce when they got to the arena. "Pierce, nous avons un problème." (Pierce, we have a problem.)

"What's up?" Pierce asked.

"Laura Sanders behauptet, Joseph sei der Vater ihres ungeborenen Kindes." (Laura Sanders is claiming that Joseph is the father of her unborn child.) Von Kaiser showed him the social media feed littered with hearts and comments. 

Pierce sharply inhaled. "Ooh boy, that is a pickle."

"Nous voulons faire un message public pour se réfuter," said Joe, still a little shaky. (We want to make a public announcement to disprove it.)

Pierce nodded. He brought them to the main computer and began typing up an official announcement.

"We, the World Video Boxing Association, have recently been informed that a woman by the name of Laura Sanders is claiming that our representative Joseph "Glass Joe" Beaufort is having an affair with her and is the father of her unborn child.

We would like to disprove this rumour. Beaufort has had a restraining order out against Sanders since August 2016. Sanders is not allowed any contact with him, and has not seen him in over two years. Furthermore, Beaufort is married to fellow WVBA representative Viktor Von Kaiser, and Sanders is not the mother of the daughter Beaufort and Kaiser have together.

We firmly believe that this is an attempt from Sanders to undermine the restraining order and get back into contact with Beaufort and his family, which is extremely dangerous. Sanders was arrested in 2019 for attempting to kidnap Beaufort's daughter from her home.

We apologize for any misunderstanding and thank you for your support.

- World Video Boxing Association manager Pierce Adamson"

After the message was made public, messages began to flow into Joe's social media accounts all throughout the day.

lawlesslucy843 sent: omg are you okay? (12:25 pm)

burningvalentine sent: Is Katrina okay? Please respond (12:48 pm)

jackieboy2002 sent: Godspeed Joey, stay safe (1:24 pm)

thefierceone208 sent: Keep your family safe brother (1:58 pm)

Joe looked up at Von Kaiser. "Je suis tellement reconnaissant que tous ces peuples me soutiennent." (I'm so grateful that all these people support me.)

"We support you too, Joey," said Mr. Sandman. "We aren't gonna let that woman hurt you or take your daughter."

"If she comes around here, we'll deal with her," said Super Macho Man, cracking his knuckles.

"もちろん、非暴力的な方法で," Piston Hondo hastily added. (Of course, in a non-violent manner.) He smacked Super Macho Man's bicep. "ブラッド、私はあなたが怒っていることを知っています, しかし、あなたはまだ妊婦を殴ることはできません." (Brad, I know you're angry, but you still can't hit a pregnant woman.)

"Look, Joey, raising a kid is already hard work," said Flying Feather. "I know Emma gives Lucy and I quite a hard time sometimes. I'm sorry she's making things harder for you."

Joe put a hand over his heart and smiled. "Avec des amis comme vous, je pense que je vais être ça va." (With friends like you, I think I'll be okay.)

"जबकि हम बच्चों के विषय पर हैं," said Great Tiger, to divert their minds away from the stressing subject at hand, "क्या आपकी भतीजी अब किसी भी दिन पैदा होने वाली नहीं है, रिकी?" (While we're on the topic of babies, isn't your niece due to be born any day now, Riki?)

"はい、彼女はそうです." Piston Hondo tucked a stray bit of hair behind his ear. "私は今ここにいることすら想定されていません. おばあちゃんは、夏美が出産するときに私が近くにいることを望んでいます." (Yes, she is. I'm not even supposed to be here right now; Grandma wants me to be nearby when Natsumi goes into labour.)

Great Tiger chuckled, and playfully hit Piston Hondo's shoulder. "तुम बहुत बुरे हो।" (You're so bad.)

Now that was a birth they were looking forward too. The boxers were now at ease, instead looking forward to the day they would meet little Sakura.

Part 2: Taking the Fall

A day had passed since Pierce had put out the public announcement denying the rumours about Laura's baby. Joe was packing up his duffel bag, preparing to leave the arena to get some lunch, feeling much less stressed. Unfortunately, the last two days' drama wasn't the end of it…

Joe was simply walking out of the locker room, peaceful as could be, when Mr. Sandman rushed over and ushered him to the children's room. "You gotta hide; Code Blonde."

Code Blonde was what the other boxers had come up with to signal Laura's presence near the building after the false report disaster. Joe kept his back to the door to listen in case she had come inside, and thanked his lucky stars that Katrina was at Annie's house instead of at the arena.

After twenty stressful minutes of waiting, the door opened. "Brad says she's gone," said Mr. Sandman. Joe breathed a sigh of relief. "Come on, we'll get you outta here through the other exit."

Joe and Mr. Sandman went through the halls to go through the other door. However, were they ever in for a shock when they got to the last hall!

"I knew he always liked me more than Heather," Laura was gushing to a small crowd. "He just took a while to get over his grief and realize it."

Super Macho Man appeared from around the corner. "I should have known that she'd park and come in," he said. "Xander, you get Joe outta here. I'll keep them busy." He hustled to where Laura was standing.

"See, Joey's such a nice man," said Laura, "I know he'll love our baby just as much as the one he had with Heather!"

"Wow, you're having a gay man's kid?" Super Macho Man interrupted. "That doesn't happen every day."

Laura sputtered indignantly. "You butt out of this!"

"Actually, I think you're the one who needs to butt out," retorted Super Macho Man, "considering that you've been banned from the premises for almost 6 years."

Laura was turning red. "I am Joey's lover, I have a right to be here!"

Super Macho Man turned his head up and looked around at the crowd. "Joe is a proud gay man and had been married for years. He isn't the father of this woman's baby." He assumed a serious face.

"I am."

The entire crowd's jaws dropped. "But you're so much younger than her!" A man in the crowd gasped.

"Not really," said Super Macho Man. "I'm actually thirty-six. I just say I'm twenty-seven to keep my image."

"No you're not!" Laura exploded. "You'd never be the father!"

"Come on," said Super Macho Man, playing along, "you know you've been cheating for years. He's gonna be some mad when he finds out…"

"Cheating?!" Laura was in full force. "I never cheated! Joey never cheated!"

"Hold on," said another crowd member, "if you're having Glass Joe's kid, then wouldn't he have to have cheated on his husband to get to this point?"

"Okay," said an exasperated woman in the crowd, "if he's not the father, and Joe isn't the father, then who the hell is the baby daddy?!"

Laura looked as if she'd just bit down on the world's largest lemon, but relented. "Fine! I got a donation! But that doesn't mean Katrina shouldn't know her half-cousin!"

"Uh, yes it does," said Super Macho Man, "because you can't be near Joe without going to jail."

Laura's face went from red to white, back to red again, and she stormed out of the arena.

When Super Macho Man returned to the back room, the other boxers were watching, astonished. "Way to take one for the team, Brad," said Bear Hugger.

King Hippo wrapped her arms around Super Macho Man and squeezed him in a hippo hug. "Yeah, yeah," said Super Macho Man, patting her head. "Someone had to get rid of her."

Don came into the crowd. "¿Crees que estamos descolgados ahora?" (Do you think we're off the hook now?)

"We should be," said Super Macho Man. "She admitted that her baby daddy was a donor in front of all those people."

"人々はあなたがあなたの年齢について嘘をついていることに満足することはないでしょう." Piston Hondo gave Super Macho Man a grim-yet-sympathetic look. (People are not going to be happy about you lying about your age.)

"Let 'em," said Super Macho Man. "Anything to get Crazy Bitch off our backs."

Meanwhile, Mr. Sandman had successfully gotten Joe home safely. Katrina had come home from Annie's house, and she and Von Kaiser were sitting at the kitchen table eating cold cuts, with a table and plate poignantly left open. Joe quietly slid into his seat.

"Da bist du," said Von Kaiser, "warum hast du so lange gebraucht?" (There you are, what took you so long?)

"J'étais en retard," said Joe. "Code Blonde. Mais Xander et Brad m'aident." (I was held up; Code Blonde. But Xander and Brad helped me.)

"What about the baby?" Katrina asked.

"Aucune idée," said Joe, "mais il ou elle n'est pas notre problème." (No idea, but they're not our problem.)

"Well, they are my cousin, if only by blood," said Katrina. "It sucks that they're gonna have to spend eighteen years with her."

"Wenn sie mit der einstweiligen Verfügung so leichtsinnig umgeht, vielleicht nicht einmal das," said Von Kaiser, finishing his lunch. (If she keeps being so reckless with the restraining order, maybe not even that.)

Joe sighed and quietly ate. He just wanted to forget this whole thing and move on with his life.

Chapter Text

Bip-bip. Bip-bip. Bip-bip.

Piston Hondo pushed himself upright and clicked his alarm off. The sun was just starting to rise, spilling a little light in through the curtains.

After pulling his shirt on, he heard Natsumi groaning from the other room. Concerned, he went into her bedroom. Natsumi had just sat up, and her bed was soaking wet.

Piston Hondo shook his head and knelt down to her level. "ほら, 私たちはあなたをきれいにすることができます. 大したことじゃないよ-" (Look, we can get you cleaned up. It's not a big deal-)

Natsumi moaned again. She really sounded like she was in pain. It was then that it clicked in Piston Hondo's head that she hadn't wet the bed.

That liquid was amniotic fluid.

He jumped up and tossed her her phone. "あなたのドゥーラを呼んでください！ おばあちゃんをゲットします！" (Call your doula! I'll get Grandma!) He ran to his grandmother's bedroom. "おばあちゃん！ 起きろ！" (Grandma! Wake up!)

"リキ、ハニー、どうしたの？" Grandma sat up and rubbed her eyes. "何かが起こったのですか？" (Riki, honey, what's wrong? Did something happen?)

"夏美は赤ちゃんを産むつもりです！ 今すぐ！" (Natsumi's going to have her baby! Right now!)

"おー！" (Oh!) Grandma threw the covers off, hopped out of bed, and ran to Natsumi's bedroom. Boy, was this going to be a stressful day!

After a bit more freaking out, the Kobayashi family had made it to the hospital. "አሁን፣ ሚስ ኮባያሺ፣ ልጅዎን ከመወለዱ በፊት ትንሽ ጊዜ ይሆናል," said Nurse Mahari, brushing a lock of hair from Natsumi's face. (Now, Miss Kobayashi, it will be a little while before your baby is born.)

"ここでどのくらい話しているのですか？" Piston Hondo was still trying to catch his breath. "ランチタイムまでに？ 就寝時間？ 明日の朝?" (How long are you talking here? By lunchtime? Bedtime? Tomorrow morning?)

"ጊዜ ብቻ ነው የሚነግረን ውዴ።" Nurse Mahari was writing some things down on her clipboard. "የዚህ ሕፃን አባት ነህ?" (Only time will tell, my dear. Now, are you the father of this baby?)

"何？ グロス、私は彼女の兄弟です." Piston Hondo made a face; very out of the ordinary for him. (What? Ew, I'm her brother.)

Nurse Mahari cocked an eyebrow. "ያ በጣም የዕድሜ ክፍተት ነው።" (That's a big age gap.)

Piston Hondo was getting frustrated. "いや、いや、私はナツミの兄弟で、サクラの兄弟ではありません." (No, no, I'm Natsumi's brother, not Sakura's brother.)

Nurse Mahari chuckled. "አውቃለሁ፣ ዝም ብዬ እያሾፍኩ ነው።" (I know, I'm just teasing.)

After a little longer, Nurse Mahari sent Piston Hondo and Grandma on their way, to be called back when the baby was born. Piston Hondo had arrived at the arena, and was sitting on the couch in the lounge, trying to calm down. "मैंने तुम्हारा यह पक्ष कभी नहीं देखा, रिकी।" (I've never seen this side of you, Riki.)

"What did you expect? His sister's having a baby!" Super Macho Man swung his arms out in a "come on" fashion.

"Respire, Riki," said Joe, holding his hand. "Elle ira bien." (Breathe, Riki. She'll be okay.)

娘のお母さんは出産で亡くなりませんでしたか? (Didn't your daughter's mother die from childbirth?) Piston Hondo wouldn't dare say it out loud, especially not when Joe and Katrina were sitting right there, but he still felt like Joe's comfort was more of a bad omen. He stood up. "失礼しますが、散歩に行きます." (If you'll excuse me, I'm going for a walk.)

Just then, the door swung open. "What's going on in here?" Pierce asked.

"His sister's having a baby!" Super Macho Man swung his arms out again, and this time, he nailed Piston Hondo right in the face. He yelled.

"Ooh, that's gonna bruise real bad," said Katrina.

"Well, that's gonna be an interesting first picture with Uncle Riki," joked Mr. Sandman.

Around five o'clock that evening, Piston Hondo got a message from the hospital, calling him back to meet the baby. He took Great Tiger with him and made his way downtown. "あります," said Grandma when they got there. (There you are.) She then spied the bruise on Piston Hondo's face. "戦っていましたか？" (Were you fighting?)

"लाउंज में एक दुर्घटना हुई थी।" Great Tiger cut in. (There was a mishap in the lounge.)

Grandma sighed and shook her head, and the three all entered the room together. And there was Natsumi, cuddling a tiny pink bundle in her arms. Sakura looked just like Natsumi did when she was first born, except she had a big tuft of black hair. "एक घंटे की उम्र में, और उसके बाल पहले से ही आपसे बेहतर थे," teased Great Tiger, elbowing Piston Hondo. (One hour old, and she already had better hair than you.)

Sakura blinked her eyes open and looked up at her uncles and great-grandmother. "नमस्ते," said Great Tiger. "मैं आपका चाचा अमर हूँ।" (Hi, I'm your uncle Amar.)

Sakura winked one of her eyes, then sneezed. "彼女はあなたが好き," said Natsumi. (She likes you.)

"እሺ፣ የደስተኛ ቤተሰብን ፎቶ እናንሳ," said Nurse Mahari, holding up Natsumi's phone. (Come on, let's get a nice picture of the happy family.) She snapped a photo of the five together. Sure, maybe Great Tiger shouldn't have been wearing a shirt with a death metal band logo on it. And yeah, maybe Piston Hondo's face was still half-purple from his bruise. But standing in the moment, it didn't matter to anyone. There was a new addition to their wonderful little family, and there was only room for love in this family, imperfections and all.

Chapter Text

It was the last day of April. Bear Hugger was picking up acorns off the ground to feed the squirrels when he saw a flash of bright blue from behind a tree. He looked over at the deeper woods, but it was gone. He shrugged and piled the acorns into a burrow.

And there it was again! He darted his head around, and this time he saw it; a tiny creature. The little one hid back behind a tree when he saw Bear Hugger looking at him.

"Hey," said Bear Hugger, going over to the tree. "Who're you, li'l fella?"

The creature poked his head back out, and Bear Hugger got a good look at him. The little guy was a forest elf, with pointy hairs, sea green hair, and huge ocean blue eyes. "Well, aren't you a cute li'l fella," said Bear Hugger. "Where's yer family?"

The elf shrunk into himself. Bear Hugger assumed that he was all alone. He coaxed him over, and brought him over to the cabin. When he got inside, Cy came to the door to see what was going on. They both thought the little elf was simply adorable.

"Can we keep him?!" They both asked in unison.

The next day, when Bear Hugger got to the arena, he brought Cy and the elf with him to hang out in the lounge.

"Bon matin, Barney," said Joe, absentmindedly pouring some coffee. (Good morning, Barney.) When he looked up, he did a quick double take. "Oh, qu'est-ce que nous avons ici?" (Oh, what do we have here?)

The other boxers came over to see. "He's adorable," cooed Katrina.

"This is our new son," said Bear Hugger. "Found him in the woods yesterday. We call him Raine."

"ओह, यह चतुर है," said Great Tiger. "क्योंकि कल अप्रैल का आखिरी दिन था." (Oh, that's clever, cause yesterday was the last day of April.)

Both were slightly confused. "What's that got to do with it?"

"It's like that saying," said Mr. Sandman, "April showers bring May flowers. You found him in April and called him Raine, and now it's May, and he's your flower."

"Oh." Bear Hugger and Cy looked at each other. "We called him that cause Barney's last name is Forrester. I mean, Raine Camore doesn't really sound as good."

"ああ, "熱帯雨林" のように." (Oh, like "rainforest".)

"Сколько ему лет?" (How old is he?)

"Dunno," said Bear Hugger, "but I wanna say three. He can walk, run, and feed himself, but he doesn't talk."

"Yes I do," said Raine. The entire room laughed.

"Tu sais, ca c'est me recordar a une histoire. Une fois, je ne peux pas trouver mon téléphone mobile pour sauver ma vie, et Katie, elle a trois ans a ce temps, elle me dit "papa, tu laisses ton téléphone au salle de bain," et j'étais comme, quoi? Mais c'était la!" Joe chuckled. (You know, that reminds me of a story. One time, I couldn't find my cell phone to save my life, and Katie, she was three at the time, she told me "Daddy, you left your phone in the bathroom", and I was like, what? But it was there!)

The boxers all shared a chuckle, while Raine simply looked around at everyone in the room.

Bear Hugger sat on the couch. "So, since we're on the topic of kids, how's that niece of yers, Riki?"

"さくらはとても健康的です," said Piston Hondo. "奇妙なことに, 彼女はお腹が空いたときに泣きません; 彼女はくしゃみをします." (Sakura is very healthy. Oddly, she doesn't cry when she's hungry; she sneezes.)

Raine cocked his head. "You have a baby?"

Piston Hondo shrugged. "私の妹はします." (My sister does.)

Raine looked up at Bear Hugger. "You have weird friends."

The entire room erupted into another fit of laughter. "Dude, you just got roasted by a baby," roared Super Macho Man, smacking Piston Hondo on the back. Piston Hondo just scowled.

Chapter Text

It was an overcast June 17th. Joe watched out the window as he waited for Gina, Lizzie, and Marlowe to finish getting Katrina ready for her Grade 8 formal; baby prom, he and Von Kaiser called it. He wished the weather could have been nicer. After all, formal is a big deal to girls her age.

He snapped back into reality when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. There was Katrina, in her flowing pink prom dress with silver sparkles along the skirt, with white sandals, her hair curled into ringlets, and pink eyelids, cheeks, and lips. Joe and Von Kaiser fawned over their little princess. "No touching," said Lizzie. "The princess must remain in mint condition until we get to the community centre."

Indeed, every Grade 8 kid in town was preparing for the formal. Mrs. Carmichael was putting sparkle gel in Annie's hair, while Gram-Gram Nancy put her makeup on. Jackson was fluffing out the corsage he bought for Janet (with his own money!). And Harry was shining his nice shoes so they would have that nice sheen when he arrived.

Down at the community centre, everyone and their families were arriving to chat and take pictures before the formal began. Tatie Gina brought Katrina over to the big willow tree to get her picture. Once she got all the solo pictures, she herded Dad and Vati in for family pictures. "Allez, Viktor, sourire pour moi." (Come on, Viktor, smile for me.)

Von Kaiser felt rather awkward. He wasn't exactly the cheesing type. Nevertheless, he relaxed his shoulders and put on a small smile. For his stepdaughter.

At exactly six o'clock, the kids were corralled into the community centre, and the parents (minus a few chaperones) were shooed away until pickup. Inside, the walls and ceiling were adored with white, lavender, and blue streamers and balloons. A few tables were along with walls covered with white tablecloths and little bottles with wild violets inside.

When the music started up, a few kids started dancing, but most preferred to gossip or take pictures. Katrina met up with Annie, Kevin, and Missy, and they danced to their song like crazy.

When the song ended, they got some snacks and sat down. "So what are you guys gonna do this summer?" Kevin asked while nibbling on some corn chips.

"Aunt Maxine is coming up from Burbank to come to Sienna's wedding," said Missy through a mouthful of brownie bites. "She wouldn't miss it for the world."

"We're gonna spend a week at Gram-Gram's," said Annie while sipping on some fruit punch. "My cousin Jackie is gonna be there too."

Late into the evening, a slow song came on. The kids paired up to dance together. Katrina simply sat by herself; there probably wasn't a girl in the school who would want to dance with her.

At least, until she saw another girl, sitting alone. There was a pin on her black jacket. Katrina took a closer look; yup, the lesbian flag. So she got up to go talk to her. "Do you wanna dance?"

The girl looked surprised. "Sure." They took each other's hands and entered the dance floor.

"So which homeroom did you have?"

"Mrs. Bowen. You?"

"I had Mr. Tate."

"It's hot in here."

"Your hands are cold."

"Sorry, I can't control that."

"You literally just said it was hot in here."

"Clearly my hands did not get the message."

"Are you that girl whose dad's a boxer?"

"Yeah."

"I watched his match last week."

"The one against Bear Hugger?"

"Yeah. And he lost."

"Yeah, that's normal."

"Is it true that he's only ever won once?"

"Yeah."

"That's honestly kind of impressive."

By then, the song had ended, and the girl disappeared into the crowd to find her friends. Katrina thought for a moment that she may have hallucinated the whole thing.

At eight o'clock, the formal was over. Some kids went outside to their parents, while the kids who were still waiting helped clean up. Katrina checked her phone, and found a message from Dad saying that he was there to pick her up. She went outside, and through the darkness only broken by streetlights, she could see her father's figure. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Claire getting picked up by her mom. She knew they were staring daggers at her and Dad, but she didn't care. "Viens, Katie," said Dad. "Viktor a cuisiné des biscuits au chocolat." (Come on, Katie. Viktor made chocolate cookies.)

Katrina followed Dad to the car, and when they got home, Vati had indeed made chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips. "Wie war dein Baby-Abschlussball?" (How was your baby prom?)

"Good," said Katrina. "We had a lot of fun."

"As-tu dansé beaucoup?" Dad asked. (Did you dance a lot?)

"Yeah," said Katrina, pulling off her shoes.

"Du wirst nächste Woche mit der Mittelschule fertig sein," said Vati. (You'll be finishing middle school next week.) Katrina saw Dad tense up a bit when he said that.

Once they each had a cookie, Katrina went upstairs to get out of her dress. She put on her s'more pyjama pants and the dark grey shirt with a no-smoking symbol on it; a symbol of Dad's adolescence. She went back downstairs and sat on her couch to look at her phone. Annie had posted the group picture online and tagged her, Kevin, and Missy in it.

sunshine123 posted: Grade 8 formal!

missd49 commented: i look so good in this picture omg

She jumped a bit when she felt movement on the couch. Dad had sat down next to her.

"Katrina, je…" Joe pursed his lips. He didn't exactly know what to say. He knew that his little girl was going to grow up eventually, but he didn't expect it to be so soon. But then again, thirteen years was a long time. He simply had too many feelings to articulate into words. So he simply put an arm around his daughter and kissed her forehead. "Je t'adore. Est-ce que…est-ce que c'est correct si je regarde le film de princesse?" (I love you. Is…is it okay if I put on the princess movie?)

"Sure," said Katrina, a bit tired. Joe put the DVD on, and leaned back. Watching this movie always put him in his happy place. Even if Katrina was growing up fast, he at least had the mementos of the little sweetheart she had once been.

Chapter Text

It was a cloudy day with a slight drizzle. Pierce was working out the details of some paperwork for a new boxer coming in that day. Yup, got everything down; age, height, weight, hometown-

He turned around and almost ran right into a tall man. He looked up to face the stranger. He was pale and redheaded, with a deadly glint in his eyes. "Hello," said Pierce awkwardly. He glanced at the papers. "Are you Aran Ryan?"

"Yeah," said Aran in a low growl. "Ye 'member me?"

Pierce was a bit confused. "Can't say I do."

"That li'l lad from Sutton Park? Callin' 'imself Dragon?"

Oh. Now Pierce made the connection. "Now I remember. ...You certainly got taller."

Aran snorted. "Couldn't stay four feet tall ferever."

"Alright," said Pierce, "we've got everything in order. Your first fight is this weekend. The lounge is over there..."

Aran didn't listen to the rest of what Pierce had to say. He entered the lounge, where Joe, Von Kaiser, Katrina, and Bald Bull were sitting. "Oi, Kaiser," he called, "yer still here?"

Von Kaiser was incredibly confused. "Kenne ich dich?" (Do I know you?)

"Ye don't remember? Whawazzit, fourteen years ago?" Aran plunked himself down on the couch. "You were gettin' yer arse handed to ye in fron'a me and all them little snots?"

"Ich...erinnere mich vage daran." (I…vaguely remember that.) Von Kaiser shifted closer to Joe. He was feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Aye, was a deadly match. And you two Frenchies were there." Aran pointed two fingers at both Beauforts. "Th' lass was a real wee thing back then."

"I'm French-Canadian," mumbled Katrina, moving in closer to her father.

Bald Bull took Aran by the shoulder and pulled him around to face him. "Canın yanmadan önce hepimiz arkadaşmışız gibi davranmayı bıraksan iyi olur." (You better stop acting like we're friends before you get hurt.)

"Aw, stick it," said Aran, pushing Bald Bull's hand off him, "we're gonna be in the same circuit, so ye better get used t' me."

Bald Bull looked at Aran, then up at Joe. "Eh…Pierce veut de place-il en le circuit du monde à cause de son record au Griffith." (Uh…Pierce wants to put him in the World Circuit because of his record at Griffith.)

"Eh?" Aran got up and towered over Joe. "He tol' me I was gettin' inta tha World Circuit 'cause I'm a beast in the ring!"

"Uh…j'suppose que c'est un mélange des deux." (Uh…I guess it's a mix of both.) Joe leaned back a bit; Aran was too close for comfort.

Aran looked Joe in the eyes. "We brawl at sunset on Saturday. And I don't go easy." With that, he hauled off and left the lounge.

"Hepimiz o adamdan nefret ettiğimiz konusunda hemfikir miyiz?" Bald Bull asked. (Can we all agree that we hate that guy?)

"Ja," said Von Kaiser.

"Yep," said Katrina.

"Je ne comprends pas," said Joe, "il etait tellement un gentil gars." (I don't understand, he was such a sweet kid.)

Von Kaiser shook his head. "Das süße Kind ist weg. An seiner Stelle steht ein Monster." (That sweet kid is gone. In his place is a monster.)

Katrina nudged her father. "What's his record?"

"Si je reconnais, 17 - 9." (If I remember, 17 - 9.)

"17 - 9?!" Bald Bull scoffed. "Gerçek bir canavar olsa iyi olur. Böyle bir rekorla, Dünya Pisti onu canlı canlı yiyecek." (He better be a real beast. With a record like that, the World Circuit will eat him alive.)

Chapter Text

The sun was setting on a Saturday evening. Joe was in the locker room, wrapping his fists in preparation for his match against Aran. He was rather nervous; after seeing how aggressive Aran could be in a casual setting, he was not excited to find out what he would do in the ring. And he didn't even have Von Kaiser there to reassure him; he had gone on a business trip to fight against the LCVB, and wouldn't be back for many days.

After having his fists inspected, he got his gloves on and entered the ring. Aran vaulted himself over the ropes into the ring; Joe noticed he hadn't waited for Pierce to check his fists.

"In this corner," began Pierce, "we have the WVBA's trooper, our unrelenting jobber, Glass Joe!"

He turned around. "And in this corner, we have a diehard Dubliner with a deadly Shamrock Squeeze, Aran Ryan!"

The moment the word "Fight" passed Pierce's lips, Aran went straight in for the kill. Pierce had never seen someone land such hard attacks so fast. He was like a blur!

Joe tried to swing at Aran, but for every one hit he landed, Aran came back with at least three. Joe stepped back a bit and tried to get a running punch in, but before he could land it, Aran bashed his head against Joe's. Joe, disoriented, stumbled back, and Aran gave him one last blow in the side of the head.

Pierce cringed. One step further, and that would have been a rabbit punch. Nevertheless, Joe went down.

"One. ...Two. ...Three."

Pierce kept a close eye on Joe while giving the ten count. He barely looked alive. Was he unconscious?

"Four….five…."

Pierce sighed and shook his head. This fight had to end now. He turned to the crowd and waved his hands. "TKO!"

After Aran left the ring, Pierce called over the medic. "Joseph?" The medic kneeled by his side and slammed her hand on the ground near his ears. "Joseph, can you hear me?"

The medic felt relieved when he jumped a bit when she pressed her fingers to his neck to check for a pulse. "Come on, let's get you to my office."

Katrina and a few of her friends were hanging around the elementary school playground one last time before they started high school in September, watching the last few seconds of the sunset. "It feels weird now that we're all getting too big for this stuff," said Annie.

"Yeah," said Jackson. "They don't exactly make this kinda stuff with teenagers in mind."

The group chuckled. Janet then showed them a picture of the high school's drama club. "My sister Luz does drama there. They get to put on a big musical at the end of the year."

"Oh, that's so cool," said Annie, "I'm definitely gonna join."

Just then, Katrina's phone buzzed. She took it out of her pocket and answered.

"Hello? …Yes, it is. …Oh, oh my god. Okay, I'll be there-what? …Okay. Hang on, I'm coming. Okay, bye." She got up off the swing. "I gotta go. My dad's hurt."

She rushed off towards the city bus stop. Annie, Jackson, and Janet looked at each other. They didn't exactly know what to say after that.

Back in the arena, they were prepping for the last fight that night; Bald Bull vs. Super Macho Man. The two were sharing some banter when Katrina burst in, frazzled.

"Ain't that Rugrat?" Super Macho Man said to Bald Bull.

She rushed up to them. "Where's my dad?!"

They looked at each other. A kid bursting into a building in a panic demanding to know where their parents are is bad enough, but Glass Joe's kid? Some major crap must have just gone down.

"In there." Super Macho Man pointed her towards the office in the back. Katrina nodded and ran inside.

"Dad!"

Dad was deeply battered, with deep purple bruises all over his body. As injured as he was, he seemed to brighten a bit when he saw his daughter.

"He's concussed," said the nurse to Katrina, "but not majorly so. A few days of rest, reduced lights, and no carbs should fix him right up."

Katrina sighed, helped her father up, and walked him to the bus stop.

Once they had gotten home, Katrina made sure the lights were off, then brought her father upstairs to his room. Dad curled up in bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

Katrina sighed and went to her own room. She opened up her phone and went to her friends' group chat.

sunshine123 sent: Hey Trina is your dad okay (8:01 pm)

kittykat08 replied to sunshine123's message: He's concussed :( (8:03 pm)

riverclanwarrior sent: ouch (8:03 pm)

kittykat08 sent: The nurse says he'll be fine in a few days (8:04 pm)

_.xjanetx._ sent: That's good. (8:05 pm)

Katrina put her phone down, laid down, and stared at the ceiling. This is all that new guy's fault, she thought. He's the one who beat my dad into a concussion!

She wished Vati was here, instead of out of town until the end of the month. He would know what to do. There had to be something she could do to get justice.

…Right?

Chapter Text

"Dad, I want to join the league."

It was Wednesday evening. Joe was feeling much better now that he had recovered from being concussed, and he had been sitting on the front porch with a book, soaking in some sun, when Katrina had come outside telling him this.

"Joindre la ligue?" (Join the league?) Joe was surprised and amazed. His daughter wanted to follow in his footsteps! That was amazing! …And worrying. "Katie, ca c'est fantastique, mais es-tu certaine que tu es prête pour quelle grande responsabilité?" (Katie, that's fantastic, but are you sure you're ready for such a big responsibility?)

"Of course," said Katrina. "I've learned more than you think, watching you all those years."

Joe clenched his teeth. He'd only ever won one match; what could she have possibly learned from him? "Eh bien, on va t'inscrire demain." (Alright, we'll get you registered tomorrow.)

The next day, Joe and Katrina entered the WVBA arena and found Pierce, who was prepping for the ten o'clock match between Piston Hondo and Great Tiger. "Morning, Joe," said Pierce. "Can I help you?"

"Je suis ici pour aider ma fille à s'inscrire pour la ligue." (I'm here to help my daughter register for the league.)

Two Beauforts in the league? Pierce was appalled by the idea. But then he thought. Katrina's a brave girl; surely she can put up some sort of fight? "Well," said Pierce, "she's lucky that she's already reached the age threshold, since you have to be thirteen to register."

"Coach Hiddleston said on my report card that I was the best weightlifter in my class," said Katrina.

"That's good to hear," said Pierce. "Usually, first fighters go against Joe first, but it's against policy to make you box your own father. And the same deal goes for stepparents, so we can't pit you against Viktor, either…"

"I was actually gearing to fight Aran Ryan," said Katrina.

Both Joe and Pierce looked at her in disbelief. "I don't know if that's such a good idea, sweetheart," said Pierce, "he's a pretty big guy."

"And?" Katrina looked indignant. "He concussed my dad, so I'm going to teach him a lesson."

"Ca c'est vraiment noble de toi, Katie," said Joe, "mais c'est aussi tellement dangereux. Es-tu certaine?" (That's very noble of you, Katie, but it's also very dangerous. Are you sure?)

"Dad," said Katrina, "if you can beat a World Circuit boxer without ever winning a match before, who says I can't?"

Huh. Elle a suivi mon guide plus près que j'ai pensé. (Huh. She's following my lead closer than I thought.) "Je suppose que ca c'est vrai." (I suppose that's true.)

"Alright," said Pierce. "We'll do a few training exercises to get you started, and then I'll work on booking you and Ryan in."

Later that evening, after all the training and paperwork, Katrina was happy to be at home, relaxing on the couch. Soon dinner would be ready; she was looking forward to a hot meal.

From the kitchen, she could hear Dad mumbling to himself. "Glass Joe et Chaton Cheri…Glass Joe et Chaton Cheri…"

Curious, Katrina got up and went to sit at the kitchen table. "Who are you talking to?

"Oh!" Dad jumped and turned around, startled. "Oh, j'étais…j'étais parle à moi-même. J'étais perdu dans mon imagination." (Oh, I…I was talking to myself. I was lost in my imagination.)

The oven beeped, and so Dad and Katrina plated their chicken, scooped out their potatoes, and sat down to eat. "So who's Chaton Cheri?" Katrina asked.

"C'est toi," said Dad. "J'étais pense à propos de ton nom de scène. Tu aimais?" (It's you. I was thinking about your stage name. Do you like it?)

Katrina rolled the name around in her head. Alliterative, cute, and meaningful. She liked it. "Yeah."

Joe beamed with pride. "Oh, ma p'tite fille est devenu un boxeur juste comme son vieil homme." (Oh, my little girl's become a boxer just like her old man.) He kissed her forehead; he was insanely proud of her.

Chapter Text

It was a warm Sunday evening. Joe and Katrina were heading out the door to go to the arena when Annie and Reese came walking up the street. "Hey, Trina. Hi, Mr. Beaufort," said Annie. "Where are you heading?"

"I'm going to the WVBA stadium," said Katrina.

"Neat," said Reese. "Who's fighting?"

"Me!" Katrina exclaimed. "I have to take down that jerk who beat up my dad."

"Aw, that's so cool," said Annie. "Who are you up against?"

"Some tall, redheaded guy," said Katrina, tightening her shoelaces. "Ryan or something."

"Aran Ryan?!"

"Yeah, that's the one."

Annie and Reese looked at each other, horrified. They had watched last week's match on the TV, where Joe got absolutely creamed.

"Katrina, you're one of the most loyal, resilient people I know, and I respect that." Reese took her by the shoulders. "But for the sake of your own safety, I am begging you to reconsider. That guy's got a foot and fifty pounds on you!"

"His bicep is like the size of your head!" Annie chimed in.

"Not to mention he's totally nuts!" Reese gave Katrina a stern look. "He beat your dad into a concussion; imagine what he'll do to you."

"I don't care," said Katrina defiantly. "He hurt my father, and I am gonna make him regret it." She edged out of Reese's grip and hopped into the car.

Annie and Reese watched as the two of them drove off. "I hope she makes it out okay," said Annie.

Reese squeezed their girlfriend's hand. "I'll pray for her."

In the WVBA locker room, there stood Aran Ryan, munching on a sandwich made from scraps he found in the lounge fridge. He was feeling confident about this next match. There was no way he could lose!

"I'm watching you, Ryan," said Mr. Sandman, looming over him. "You try any funny business with her, and you'll be dangling off the bridge by your shorts by dawn."

"Stall the ball, Sandy," said Aran, rolling his eyes. "I ain't doin' anything t' 'er."

Piston Hondo gave him a funny look. "喧嘩の直前に食べてよろしいですか？" (Are you sure you want to be eating right before a match?)

Aran scoffed. "Yeah, Glass Joe's li'l spawn is gonna give me a hard time. Oh noo, I'm soo scared," he said mockingly.

Just then, a bouncer knocked at the door urging Aran to hurry up. He polished off his sandwich and hauled off to begin the match.

Piston Hondo watched him leave. "彼はみんなの前で昼食を失うでしょう." (He's going to lose his lunch in front of everyone.)

"Let him," said Mr. Sandman. "He wants to make himself sick, embarrass himself in public, and lose to Joe's kid all in one go, then so be it."

"In this corner," said Pierce, "we have a diehard Dubliner ready to deliver a deadly Shamrock Squeeze, Aran Ryan! And in this corner, she's tiny and mighty, she's Daddy's Little Powerhouse, Chaton Cheri!"

Katrina (or rather, Chaton Cheri) knocked her gloves together to psych herself up.

"So," snarled Aran, "heir ta the bottom o' tha Minor Circuit thinks she's a big shot, huh?"

"Don't patronize me," said Chaton Cheri. "I'm kickin' your butt."

Aran cracked his neck and gave her an evil grin. "Come on, lass. I took down yer daddy; ye can't be that much 'arder."

Chaton Cheri clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to repress the memories of bursting into that office to find her father deeply battered and bruised; of walking him to the bus stop on her shoulder, trying to keep him upright; of staring at the ceiling until she fell asleep, paralyzed with rage.

She looked back up into Aran's eyes. "I doubt that."

"Fight!"

The fight began. Now that she was barely a foot away from him, Chaton Cheri was beginning to regret this decision. Aran had a much bigger height advantage over her than she imagined. Nevertheless, she had to win this; not just her own sake, but for her father's as well. She threw a few jabs, but she wasn't able to get a proper hit in before Aran knocked her back with a hook. She stumbled, but kept her balance and came back with an uppercut.

Chaton Cheri thought the fight was going well, until Aran grabbed her and pulled her into a clinch. "What are ye gon' do now, lass?!"

Good question. What was she going to do? Actually, there really wasn't much she could do, besides thrash back and forth to try to break free from his grip. Eventually, she must have gotten him to pull something, because he jerked his arm back and yelped, giving her the opportunity to get out and make him eat glove.

The crowd was amazed by the fight. "彼女にはチャンスがあると思いますか?" Piston Hondo leaned in and asked Mr. Sandman. (Do you think she has a chance?)

"Yeah," said Mr. Sandman. "I'm just waiting to see how long it takes before he hurls."

"Hey, hosers," said Bear Hugger, moving through the crowd to sit with them. "You didn't eat any of that lunch ham left in the lounge fridge, didja? It expired a week ago, I just threw it out."

Piston Hondo and Mr. Sandman looked at each other appalled; Piston Hondo was horrified, while Mr. Sandman simply looked satisfied.

They both knew Aran had put that ham in his sandwich.

Chaton Cheri was getting frustrated with Aran's antics, and finally snapped. "That's all you do, isn't it?! Act like a big bully, because everyone's too scared to call you on it!" The little tyke clenched her fist as tight as she could and drew back as far as she could. "Well, this is for what you did to my dad!" She cried as she delivered the hardest cross she could muster into Aran's guts.

Ow. Aran stumbled back a bit. Ow. That actually hurt. He took a second to catch his breath and...un-disorient himself or something. That was Joe's kid? He would have believed you if you had told him she was Bear Hugger's, or perhaps even Soda Popinski's kid. But seriously? Glass feckin' Joe's daughter was that strong?

Ugh. What was wrong with him?! There wasn't any way in the world that a little pup like her could hurt him that bad! He had to get back and-oh. No. He couldn't. Oh no. He dropped to his knees. Please, not here, anywhere but here.

Based on all the context clues, you could probably guess what happened next. And seeing as it was really gross, the author has elected to spare you the details. Instead, just imagine Kirby, Lip, and Pikachu playing a nice little game of hopscotch. How sweet.

Luckily, the round ended there, so Pierce shooed Chaton Cheri into her corner and called the medic in to check up on Aran. "What happened out there?" The medic asked.

"Th' little lass got me good," was all Aran said. He was not ready to admit defeat. Especially not to Joe's daughter!

The medic glanced at the mess. "Have you eaten anything today?"

"Made m'self a san'wich 'fore I came out," mumbled Aran, whose face was starting to flush.

"Right before the match?!" Pierce had a 'no wonder' attitude. "Why did you go and do a dumb thing like that?"

"Cos' I wasn' expectin' Glass Joe's wee spawn t' put up such a fight!" The medic put a hand on Aran's shoulder to keep him relatively restrained, while Pierce checked up with Chaton Cheri. "How are you holding up, young lady?"

"I'm fine," tittered Chaton Cheri.

"Listen, this was not your fault," said Pierce. "Turns out this little tummy ache of his came from something he ate before entering the ring."

"I ain't that sick! C'mere, ye yellow-bellied youngwan!" Aran sprung back onto his feet, ready to start another round. He swung a punch...only to lose his balance and fall face-first onto the mat.

Pierce shook his head. "Yeah, he's done." He turned to the audience and shook his hands. "It's over! TKO! Chaton Cheri wins by default!"

"What?! Ye can't do that!"

Aran's weak attempt to protest was cut off by the medic hauling him up and easing him over her shoulder. "Come on. I've got some dramamine in the back. It'll help settle your stomach. Pierce, radio a bouncer to come in here and clean that up."

Chaton Cheri was stunned. That's it? She won? Just like that? All around her, people were cheering and clapping, so she raised her gloves in the air as a sign of championship.

Katrina stored her boxing uniform back into her duffel bag. She was still rather unsure of what to think.

"Katrina!" Joe found his daughter to congratulate her. "Tu étais fantastique, ma belle." (You were fantastic, darling.)

"Yeah, she was great." Some other boxers and audience members were gathered as well. Katrina was flustered. This many people cared that she won by accident?

"You should start bringin' her more often," said Bear Hugger. "I see the Major Circuit in her future."

"I have to try again," said Katrina. "That match was pathetic. Next time, I want to win for real."

"Viens, Katie," said Joe. "On va retourner chez nous et regarder un film ou quelque chose." (Come on, Katie. We'll go home and watch a movie or something.)

Before they could leave, Katrina heard a shout from the back room.

"Quit pokin' at me!"

She turned. As much as she wanted to just get outta there and leave, curiosity got the better of her.

"Look, I left the ring, I took yer drama crap, what else do ye want from me?!"

"Okay, just calm down, getting angry is only gonna make it worse."

Katrina pressed her ear against the door...and fell right into the room, because she didn't expect the door to be open just a crack.

The medic looked at her. "Can I help you?"

Katrina picked herself up off the floor. "I just wanted to know where all the yelling was coming from."

"Well, your, uh, friend here is gonna be okay. He just needs to take these anti-nauseants every few hours and rest up."

"Oi! Tell that li'l gremlin t' go punch a tree! Her and her breadmunchin', pipsqueak ol' man!" Food poisoning was clearly not enough to dampen Aran's fiery temper.

"Hey, uh, nurse chick." Mr. Sandman ducked down to look inside. "That ham he used in his sandwich? It expired like a week ago."

"Well, that certainly doesn't make this case any better." The medic was starting to get real sick of everyone's nonsense.

"Oh, ye deceitful bastard!" Aran was getting angrier by the minute. "Th' secon' I'm back on my feet again, I'm kickin' your arse!"

"Hey hey hey." The medic pushed Aran back and grasped his shoulders. "Breathe." She held him like this until Aran somewhat calmed down.

"As-tu embarrassé?" Joe approached his rival. (Are you embarrassed?)

"No. Sh-shut up." Aran turned his face away so the others wouldn't see him going red in the face. Still, he could feel their eyes on him. Staring. Judging. He turned back around to shout at everyone.

"Quit starin' at me like that!" He cried, his voice cracking. "I's not like I meant to do it!" God, this was one of the most humiliating days of his life.

"Quelques fois, je me sens comme ça." Joe put a hand on Aran's shoulder. "Comme quand je perds un match de boxe." (Sometimes, I feel like that. Like when I lose a boxing match.)

"Shove it, Red, I'm not embarrassed!" Aran snapped, despite noticeably blushing like a cherry tomato.

Katrina was simply stunned. Just minutes ago, she was being held in this guy's clinch, thrashing to get free. And now she felt almost sorry for him.

"Je sais que tu es triste parce que tu étais malade." Joe gave him a warm look. "Allez, on va chercher tes vêtements." (I know you're upset because you were sick. Come on, let's go get your clothes.) He eased Aran back up and took him to the locker room to go get his things.

Katrina waited for her father on a bench. She still wasn't quite sure if everything happening around her was real. Did all of that really just happen? Did she actually beat such a high-ranked boxer; by accident?

Eventually, she could see Joe coming towards her with Aran by his side. Aran was no longer red in the face, instead looking pale. By the time they reached the bench, he was wobbling and looked woozy.

"Tu as besoin d'une minute?" (You need a minute?) Joe sat him down on the bench next to Katrina. Katrina looked at him, and she could see his eyes glistening. Was he going to cry?

"What're ye looking at?" Katrina jumped back as she realized Aran could see her staring at him.

She thought for a minute, then assumed a firm face. "You know why I challenged you for a match today?"

"Cause I concussed yer dad," mumbled Aran, his voice wavering a bit. Katrina caught that waver. He was going to cry.

"Are you gonna do it again?" Even if he was upset, Katrina needed to get through to Aran that he had done her and her father dirty.

"...no," whispered Aran, quivering a bit.

"Ces choses arrivent," said Joe softly, "ça ne te fait pas une mauvaise personne." (These things happen, it doesn't make you a bad person.)

Aran said nothing, only biting his lip. Seriously? He had just had one of the most embarrassing losses of his career, and now Glass Joe and his blummin' daughter were trying to comfort him about it? Had they no self-awareness?!

His train of angry thoughts was cut off when his belly strongly lurched. He groaned, leaning forward and pressing his forearms into his abdomen.

Katrina put a hand on his shoulder. "Do you need a hug?"

"No," was Aran's instinctive response. But after a moment, he thought that night was already horrible, so might as well bite the bullet now. "...yes."

Katrina lifted herself up into his lap and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"I don' wan' t' be th' bully," mumbled Aran, a hot tear leaking from his eye down his cheek. "I spen' too many years gettin' picked on t' turn 'round an' do it meself."

When Joe put a hand on his back, Aran pulled him into the hug too. "I…" He pursed his lips. Aran Ryan was good at many things; apologizing was not one of them. "I shouldn'ta fought so rough."

"C'est correct," said Joe gently. "Je te pardonne." (It's okay. I forgive you.) He hauled Aran up on his shoulder (which was quite difficult, as Aran was much bigger than him) and led him to the car to take him home.

Chapter Text

It was a rainy Thursday afternoon. The boxers were all gathered at the arena to watch that day's match; Great Tiger vs. Flying Feather. A few were gossiping about the previous night's match.

"Did he really?!" Super Macho Man thought the results were hysterical.

"Yup," said Bear Hugger. "They had to stop the match and everything."

Joe said nothing. He still felt rather sorry for Aran. He kept replaying last night in his head; driving Aran home as he leaned by the window for air, arriving to learn that Aran was living in the same apartment complex he had been living in before Katrina came along, leaning him over a bin as he threw up the rest of his sandwich, laying him on the couch because he just didn't have the energy to go to bed, nursing him on a water bottle until he fell asleep…

Joe decided to text him. He got his number through the group chat, typed out a message, and sent it.

joebeaufort84 sent: Je viens pour te visiter après le match. (I'm coming to visit you after the match.) (2:35 pm)

. . .

deathclover317 sent: aye (2:56 pm)

Once the match was over, Joe collected Katrina and drove down to the apartment complex. He found the apartment number and pushed the door open. Even though his bed wasn't that far away, Aran was still curled up on the couch where he had left him the previous day. The TV was waiting on a "Play next episode" screen, and Aran was lightly snoring, his eyelids fluttering. He must be dreaming. Joe nudged Aran, and he snorted and opened his eyes. "Aye?"

"Bonne après-midi," said Joe softly. "Comment va tu?" (Good afternoon. How are you feeling?)

Aran pushed himself upright. "Fine," he mumbled, massaging his face.

"Tu n'es pas encore nausée?" (You're not still nauseated?)

"Nah." Aran sat up. "'Aven't yakked since last night. By now, I think me belly thinks me throat's been cut."

Joe sat with him. "Qu'est-ce que tu regardes?" (What are you watching?)

"Hotel Hell," said Aran, picking up the remote to continue watching. He looked up at the doorway and saw Katrina. "'Ey, junior."

Katrina didn't want to come in. The reality of how much danger she really was in was sinking in. This guy could have killed her!

"Viens, ma belle," said Joe, "c'est ça va." (Come on, sweetie, it's okay.)

Katrina slowly went and sat closely next to her father. The three of them watched the show together.

After a bit, Aran's stomach rumbled. "Alright, ye whiny dope," grumbled Aran, "I'll feed ya." He got up, and came back a bit later with some dry cereal.

"Alors," said Joe, "tu penses que tu es prête pour retourner demain?" (So, you think you're ready to come back tomorrow?)

"Aye," said Aran. "Yer li'l one didn't bang me up that bad."

Katrina clung to her father. She was still a bit shy. "Yeah, ye think I bite, don'tcha?" Aran leaned in to talk to her. "Okay, seriously though, ye…y'opened me eyes." He pursed his lips and averted eye contact. "I didn't see meself for who I was."

"So you're going to go easier on people now?" Katrina raised her head.

"Oh, I'm still fightin' like a beast," chuckled Aran, "but I'm keepin' in the ring."

Katrina smiled. "Good."

The next morning, when Joe came into the arena, he was pleased to see Aran already there, looking good as new and itching to get back into the arena.

Off to the side, Pierce was registering a new boxer. "Alright, and do you have a stage name, Mr. Miller?"

"They call me Disco Kid," he replied, bouncing back and forth; he was full of energy.

"Alright," said Pierce, "we can get you in this evening for your first fight."

Once Pierce walked off, Disco Kid looked up, and Aran caught his eye. He blushed; why, Aran was the grooviest fella he'd ever laid his eyes on.

He looked away; he was too shy to say anything. Maybe some other time, he would talk to him. But not yet.

Chapter Text

The last few days of August were blazing by. School was much sooner than one might think. Daisy was at the mall, shopping for back-to-school clothes with Mum, when she ran into that nice Joey and his daughter. "Oh, hello!" Mum gushed when she saw the two. She was very happy to see Joey.

"Salut, Cath," said Joey, extending a hand to shake.

"Oh, I hope you're doing well," said Mum. "I keep feeling like we scared you off after what happened in November."

"Eh bien, c'était stressant, mais ce n'était pas ta faute." (Well, it was stressful, but it wasn't your fault.) Joey shrugged. "Hé, on va regarder des films ensemble demain après-midi. Voulez-vous nous joindre?" (Hey, we're going to watch some movies together tomorrow. Would you like to join us?)

"Why, of course," said Mum. Daisy nodded as well.

The next day at one o'clock, Daisy and her mum got into the car and went over to Joey's house. Joey had put out popcorn and juice to enjoy, and his cat was laying on the couch, having a nap.

"Veux-tu choisir le premier film?" Joey offered Daisy. (Do you want to choose the first movie?)

Daisy looked at the selection of movies. "That one," she said, pointing to a cute-looking movie. Joey put it on, and they sat down to watch together.

Once the movie was over, it was Joey's daughter's turn to choose the movie. Daisy saw Mum get a text from Momma about how her errands were going. "Mum, we're not running errands."

"I know," said Mum. "I told Momma that because she and Joey don't like each other."

Daisy cocked her head. She was confused. However, she was soon distracted when the movie started.

Halfway through the movie, Mum, Joey, and Joey's daughter burst out laughing at something the person in the movie said. Daisy couldn't figure out for the life of her why they thought it was so funny. Where was the humour in a man saying he likes to get paid?

There was still time for one more movie, and Joey was letting Mum choose one. "Mum, why doesn't Momma like Joey?"

Mum sighed. "Oh, there was a misunderstanding way back when between your sister and Katrina, and I guess Momma is taking that out of Joey."

Daisy sat on that for a moment. Okay, so Joey's daughter's name was Katrina; she kept forgetting it. Okay, so Sissy and Katrina had a fight, and Momma was mad at Joey because of it? Why wasn't she mad at Katrina? She shook her head and looked up to watch the movie.

When the movie was over, Mum corralled Daisy to the door to get her shoes on. "Really, thank you for having us," said Mum to Joey. "I really appreciate it. I've gotta go pick up some takeaway dinner before I head home. Say bye-bye, Daisy."

"Bye," said Daisy, following Mum to the car. She hoped she would get takeout from Rogueport Ribs; they made really good French fries.

Chapter Text

"You took her to Joe Beaufort's house?!"

A few days had passed since Cath and Daisy had been invited over for a movie marathon with the Beauforts. Viona had gotten suspicious of their actual whereabouts that day when Daisy somehow knew all the plot beats of a new movie she wanted to show her. She had confronted Cath for details, and soon enough, the truth came out.

"He invited us! You know I hate turning down invitations!"

Viona turned her attention to Daisy. "Did he do anything to you, lovey?"

"No," said Daisy, a bit frightened at her mother's anger. "He was really nice, and gave us snacks."

"What about his daughter?" Viona pressed further. "Did she look hurt?"

"No."

"Scared?"

"No!"

Viona looked back up at Cath. "I cannot believe you would bring our daughter into the home of a predator who abuses his daughter!"

"Now you wait right there, Viona," said Cath, straightening her back. "I would never let my children be near someone who I thought was hurtful. I trust Joey, and I know that he would never abuse his daughter, or mine, or me."

"What are you yelling about?!" Claire stomped down the stairs into the kitchen. "I'm trying to record a video!"

"I've learned that Cath cannot be trusted to take Daisy anywhere," said Viona, her voice smothered in cold venom.

Claire lowered her phone. "What did she do?"

Viona huffed. "She brought Daisy over to play good neighbours with the Beauforts."

Claire's jaw dropped. "Are you freaking kidding me, Cath?! You saw all that and you don't care?"

Cath gave her a stern look. "Claire, you told a lie that day. You told me that Joey was hurting his daughter and she was taking it out on you, but when we got to school, it turned out that you were bullying her."

"Don't change the subject," spat Claire, "he literally cannot stop touching her."

"I give you hugs and kisses, does that mean I'm abusing you?"

That made Claire go quiet.

"And I did not like your comment that Joey only married his husband because he was desperate and couldn't find a woman. Do you think I'm desperate and couldn't find a man because I married your mother?"

After another moment of stunned silence, Cath plucked the phone out of Claire's hand. "I shouldn't have let your mother talk me out of grounding you when we got home after that meeting."

"No," said Viona, intercepting. "I'm her mother, I have final say."

"And I'm not?" Cath whirled around at her wife, her eyes constricted with fury. "You share all the responsibilities with me, but when I actually need to guide her, suddenly I need to step back because I'm not her mother?!" She gave both of them a cold look, and, with Claire's phone in hand, left the kitchen and went upstairs to her room.

The next morning, after checking to see that Claire and Viona weren't around to notice, Cath took Daisy out to get breakfast at a coffee shop. When she got there, she found Joey already there with Katrina and his husband. After getting their food, they went to sit with them. "Hi, Joey, Trina."

"Salut encore, Cath," said Joey. "Nous avons un petit déjeuner spécial pour bienvenue mon mari en retour." (Hello again, Cath. We're having a special breakfast to welcome my husband home.) He then noticed Cath's crestfallen expression. "Qu'est-ce qui se passe?" (What happened?)

Cath sighed. "I had a falling out with Viona last night. I just don't understand what happened between our families."

"Claire started lying," said Katrina. "She's upset because she doesn't have the kind of bond with you and your wife that I have with Dad and Vati, so she had to find some way to feel like she's better than me."

Cath shook her head. "I want to be close to Claire, but…you know, being a stepparent is hard. I never know when I'm overstepping, and…there are times where I don't really feel like her mother."

"Frau…" (Ma'am…) Joey's husband sat up a little straighter. "Stiefvater zu werden war eine meiner größten Sorgen, als ich Joseph heiratete. Obwohl ich Katrina fast ihr ganzes Leben lang kenne, konnte ich mir nicht vorstellen, ihre Eltern zu sein." (Becoming a stepfather was one of my biggest concerns when I married Joseph. Although I've known Katrina almost all her life, I still couldn't imagine being her parent.)

He took Joey's hand. "Aber sobald dieser Knoten geknüpft war, fühlte es sich an wie das Normalste aller Zeiten. Ich denke, das ist das Problem; Du darfst Claire nicht genug Zeit haben, um dich wie ihre Eltern zu fühlen." (But after that knot was tied, it felt like the most normal thing ever. I think that's the problem; you don't have enough time with Claire to feel like her parent.)

Daisy pulled herself up on her knees to reach the table. "Why does Sissy tell lies?"

"She's jealous," said Katrina. "She wants my life, so she wants to tear me down to her level."

"Jealous?!"

Everyone at the table jumped. Viona and Claire had found Cath and Daisy.

Claire came to the table to confront Katrina. "You think I want your life, with parents who use me and beat me?!"

"Beat me?!" Katrina's face started to go red. "Dad and Vati never hit me!"

"Oh, and I suppose you got those bruises on your arms from getting caught in an elevator door," quipped Claire, gesturing to the twin bruises on Katrina's biceps.

"No, I got these because I took up boxing a few weeks ago," said Katrina, glaring. "Didn't you hear about how the brash and mighty Aran Ryan fell to sweet li'l Chaton Cheri?"

"Yeah, like you could ever win a boxing match. You can't solve any of your problems without running to Daddy." Claire stood up straight and glared down at Katrina.

"Lass meine Tochter in Ruhe." (Leave my daughter alone.) Von Kaiser gave Claire an equally stern look.

Daisy moved in closer to Cath. "Mummy, she's mean."

Cath looked up at Viona and furrowed her brow. "I won't listen to your daughter's lies. Joey is a nice man, and he never hurt his daughter or anyone else." She picked Daisy up. "I'll be spending the day at my mother's." With that, she collected their half-eaten breakfast into a little takeaway bag and left the coffee shop. Not long after, Von Kaiser corralled his family to do the same.

When the three got home, they finished their breakfast in the kitchen. "Je suis désolé, Viktor," Joe mumbled solemnly. "Je veux seulement faire quelque chose de gentil pour toi." (I'm sorry, Viktor. I only wanted to do something nice for you.)

Von Kaiser shook his head. "Es war nicht deine Schuld, Joseph." (It wasn't your fault, Joseph.) He turned to Katrina. "Oder deine." (Or yours.) When they were finished eating, he gestured for them to come closer, and held them in a tight hug.

"I hope Claire isn't in any of my classes this year," said Katrina.

"Ich hoffe um deinetwillen, dass sie es auch nicht ist," said Von Kaiser. (I hope for your sake that she isn't, either.)

Chapter Text

So there they were, September 6th; the first day of high school. "Où est-ce que le temps va s'aller?" (Where does the time go?) Dad hugged Katrina and kissed her forehead. For the first time, Katrina was going to be in the same school as Cousin Marie, and she thought that was pretty neat.

After getting out of Dad's surprisingly strong hug grip, a quick hug from Vati, and goodbye pets for Sofie-Miette, Katrina was out the door and walking to the bus stop. Annie was already there, so the two sat together, just them, until another girl came along. Neither of them had ever seen her before. "Hi," said Annie. "Who are you?"

"Aria," said the girl, sitting down. "Aria Perkins. I moved here over the summer to be closer to my family."

"Cool," said Annie. "I'm Annie, and she's Katrina."

After a few more minutes of waiting, and a few more kids arriving, the bus came and took them to Kadupul High School. It was big to them when they went on the tour in June, and now it looked even bigger. Katrina and Annie walked in together, making a point to stick their noses up when they walked past Veronica and Sasha, and looked around the lobby. There was a display of sports trophies on one side, a poster of news clippings about the school on the other, and there seemed to be posters of every club on every wall.

"So, you're the new kids?"

They turned around and found themselves face-to-face with some huge, muscly seniors. "Uh…" They looked at each other. "Yeah?"

The biggest of them smirked. "We have a certain way of doing things around here."

Intimidated, Annie and Katrina backed away closer to the stairwell. "The lunch tables on the stage are off-limits to freshmen," said the senior, "the back field is the football team's territory, and stay away from the bathrooms next to Mr. Mackey's classroom."

Just then, a paper ball flew across the hall. As the seniors turned to look at it, Katrina and Annie were pulled into a classroom. "You kids okay?"

The two turned around to face their rescuer. Katrina recognized him; that was Maxwell Vancelli! She hadn't seen him since Grade 2. …He certainly got taller.

"Yeah," said Annie. "Who were those guys, anyway?"

"Football kids," said Mac. "Don't listen to anything they say, they're aaa…" He realized his homeroom teacher was looking at him. "...aaantagonistic." He looked at Katrina. "Aren't you Glass Joe's kid?"

"Yeah," said Katrina. "Aren't you a football kid?"

"Not me," insisted Mac. "I'm more of a swimmer, see?"

"Yeah, that makes sense," mused Annie.

"I watched your match last month," said Mac. "I can't believe you kicked that guy's ass."

"HEY." The teacher turned around and looked at Mac. Mac just shrugged sheepishly.

Annie and Katrina peeked outside the door to make sure the seniors were gone, then went to the office to get their homerooms. Merrily, they were in the same homeroom; Ms. Jewel's class. When they got there, a couple kids were already there. As the morning chugged along, more and more kids came along until the class was full. Katrina could see Masako, Aria, Kevin…and thankfully, no Claire, Veronica, or Sasha.

Once the bell and rung and the anthem had been stood for, Ms. Jewel handed out everyone's schedules and health forms.

Legal Name: Katrina Melody Beaufort
Preferred Name: Katrina
Date of Birth: July 7th, 2008
Gender Assigned at Birth: Female
Current Gender Presentation: Female
Medical Conditions: N/A
Allergies: N/A
Other Afflictions: N/A
Emergency Contacts:
Joseph Beaufort
Relationship to Child: Father

Viktor Von Kaiser
Relationship to Child: Stepfather

Amélie Beaufort
Relationship to Child: Grandmother

Louise Sanders
Relationship to Child: Grandmother

A few hours later, Katrina got to her art class, where she saw Harry, Kira, and (sigh) Claire. The teacher at the front of the room was wearing a very funky tie with zigzagged magenta and orange stripes.

"Good morning," said the teacher, "I'm Miss Lazlo, I'll be your art teacher this semester."

After a demonstration of what they were going to do that semester, Miss Lazlo gave everyone a sheet of paper and instructed them to draw anything they wanted to. Katrina decided to draw a princess dress. She drew a chiffon top with a gown-length skirt with large pleats and a gem on the neckline.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Claire giving her a cold look, and whispering to the girl next to her. She furrowed her brow and continued to stare straight at her page.

When everyone was done, the class talked about what they'd drawn and why. "I drew a flower bed," said the girl sitting next to Claire, "because there are all kinds of wildflowers that grow in my yard."

"Very nice, Isla," said Miss Lazlo, "drawing inspiration from reality."

At lunchtime, Katrina sat with Annie, Janet (who she hadn't seen all day), and Kira to eat. "Do you have Miss Lazlo?"

"I have her Period 5," said Kira.

"You'll love her," said Katrina, "she's a lot like you."

The four of them ate quietly, until a wadded-up piece of paper sailed across the table and landed next to Kira's plate. Kira opened up the paper. Inside was the message "want to hang out after school?" with little doodles surrounding it. She looked to the side, and Isla was watching for her reaction. When she saw Kira looking up, she smiled and waved. Kira grinned and waved back.

Katrina, on the other hand, spotted Cousin Marie on the other side of the lunch hall. She waved to her, but she didn't notice, and simply walked away. Katrina was mildly disappointed. 

When school ended, Katrina got onto the bus and rode home. When she got home, Uncle Miles and Adalaide were over, putting together a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle with Dad and Vati. "Viens, Katie," said Dad, "joindre." (Come on, Katie, join us.)

Katrina put her bag down and sat down to help put the puzzle together. "Wie gefällt dir das Gymnasium?" Vati asked. (How do you like high school?)

"It's pretty good," said Katrina. "I have a pretty cool art teacher."

"J'espère que tes années d'école secondaire sont mieux que mon," said Dad. "Mes annees etait plein avec les amis toxique, la stresse, et un enseignement malfaisant." (I hope your high school years are better than mine. My years were full of toxic friends, stress, and an evil teacher.) He sighed, shook his head, and continued with the puzzle.

Chapter Text

Now that the school year was underway, it was time for Meet the Teacher Night. Katrina came to school with both Dad and Vati, and brought them to Ms. Jewel's classroom. "This is my homeroom."

Joe looked around the room, intrigued by the posters on the walls. He, Von Kaiser, and Katrina all sat down at a table together. Ms. Jewel sat at the front of the room at her desk. "Good evening, Katrina, and your dads," said Ms. Jewel. "Are you liking high school so far?"

"Yeah," said Katrina. "I like my art class, even though I have to share it with that meanie Claire."

Ms. Jewel cocked her eyebrow. "What do you and Claire have against each other?"

"She started being mean to everyone in middle school," griped Katrina, "and now she goes around telling everyone lies about me and my dads."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," said Ms. Jewel. "If you ever have any issues with her, the guidance counsellor will be happy to help you."

"Ich hoffe, wir haben keine Probleme mit ihr," said Von Kaiser. (I hope we don't have any problems with her.)

"La dernière année, elle a presque causé à ma Katrina d'avoir des problèmes à l'école," explained Joe. (Last year, she nearly got my Katrina in trouble at school.)

More parents then began to trickle into the room with their kids. Joe and Von Kaiser got up and let the students take their seats. "Alright, good evening, everyone," said Ms. Jewel when everyone had arrived. "I'm Amber Jewel, and I'll be your kids' homeroom teacher during their four years here. Tonight, we'll be discussing school procedures, events, and what will be happening in case of an emergency."

As Meet the Teacher night progressed, Katrina, Joe, and Von Kaiser soon made their way to Miss Lazlo's classroom. And of course, that meant Claire was there with Viona. Claire glared at Katrina when she came in, and Viona gave Von Kaiser and especially Joe the evil eye.

"Alright, good evening, everyone," said Miss Lazlo, clapping to get everyone's attention. "I'm Patricia Lazlo, and I'll be teaching your little gremlins art this semester."

Miss Lazlo brought up a slideshow on the SMART Board. "Some of the topics we'll be discussing include colour theory, different styles of art, some art history, and general creativity."

Annaliese McIntire raised her hand. "Are we going to learn about Vincent Van Gogh?"

"You betcha," said Miss Lazlo. "What art class doesn't?"

Across the room, Janet received a message, which she opened.

clairedelune88 sent: i bet k's dads are only here to detract suspicion (6:29 pm)

Janet rolled her eyes and deleted the message. She was not in the mood for Claire and her drama tonight.

At around seven o'clock, Katrina, Joe, and Von Kaiser got to Katrina's Period 5 class, a math class with the infamous Mr. Mackey. "Y'see, I live under the philosophy that math is way more enjoyable if you use it in a context that matters to you. Like, no one likes adding up percentages, but what if you were adding the percentages of how successful your favourite band's songs are?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Katrina could see Aria's eyes widen, as if she'd never thought of it that way before.

Joe raised his hand. "Peut-être tu peux faire la multiplication avec certaines boissons, et combien tu besoin pour un groupe de personnes." (Maybe you could do multiplication with certain drinks, and how many you'd need for a group of people.)

"See, Mr. Beaufort gets it," said Mr. Mackey. "The point of math is not to suffer through it, but to make it your friend. And that's my job; make math your friend."

When Meet the Teacher Night was over, Katrina passed by Claire on her way out. "So," said Claire, "are you going to play Punching Bag when you get home?"

"Actually, we're going to feed the cat and watch a movie together, because that's what good families do," said Katrina, sticking her nose up.

Von Kaiser put a hand on Katrina's shoulder. "Meine Stieftochter wird heute Abend nicht verletzt, seien Sie versichert." (My stepdaughter will not be injured tonight, rest assured.)

"Calmes-tu, Viktor," said Joe, easing his husband's tension. "Viens, on va retourner chez nous." (Calm down, Viktor. Come on, let's go home.) Joe corralled his family together, and they all left for home, where they would enjoy a peaceful night together.

Chapter Text

It was a breezy day in late September. Joe was absentmindedly doing some dishes when there was a knock at the door. Von Kaiser had already gotten up to answer for him. At the door were Louise, Marlowe, and Lizzie. "Guten Tag," he said, "was können wir für Sie tun?" (Good afternoon, what can we do for you?)

"You are not going to believe this," said Lizzie.

Once they were inside, Marlowe opened up her FriendFindr and showed them a post. Laura's baby, a girl, had been born, and she did not name her Joey Jr. Rather, what she named her was worse; Karina Lucy-Jo. The caption read "so happy that you are here, such a shame your family doesn't care to meet you". In addition to pictures of the baby, there were also photos of her mother and grandfather holding her.

"I should have known Henry would be involved in this," said Louise. "He's always taken Laura's side over mine and Heather's."

"Qu'est-ce qu'on peut faire?" Joe asked. "Nous ne pouvons pas laisser cet enfant rester avec ce nom." (What can we do? We can't let that baby stay with that name.)

"Why not go through the legal system and ask them for advice?" Lizzie suggested. "I'm sure they'd be really concerned about the safety of an infant whose mother has a criminal record with kidnapping on the rap sheet."

"Yes, that's exactly what we should do," said Louise. She, Joe, and Marlowe went to the car to go to the courthouse, while Von Kaiser and Lizzie stuck around at the house so Lizzie could spend some time with Katrina when she got home from school.

When they entered the courthouse, Louise marched right up to the first judge she saw. "Sir, I have a problem regarding my restraining order."

"Okay, okay, come on, sit down," said the judge, bringing them to sit down. "Now, what is the problem?"

"Me and my…uh, son-in-law have a restraining order against my daughter," said Louise. "We found out recently that she had a baby, and she named her after myself, him, and his daughter."

Marlowe showed the judge the post. "We believe she's doing this as an attempt to waive the restraining order."

The judge was curious. "Why do you have a restraining order against her?"

"Elle essaie de kidnapper ma fille deux fois," said Joe. "Nous avons besoin d'une injonction d'éloignement du domicile conjugal pour rester secure." (She tried to kidnap my daughter twice. We needed a restraining order for our own safety.)

The judge was appalled to hear that. "My word," he said. "Well, the restraining order is still in place regardless of the baby."

"Of course," said Louise. "If she breaks it, she'll get immediate jail time."

"Alright," said the judge. "You are protected if the circumstances do worsen."

Just then, Joe's phone buzzed with a message. He opened it up, and his heart went cold.

Viktor sent: CODE BLONDE (3:21 pm)

Joe stood up. "Mon mari me texter," he said, "elle est à ma maison." (My husband texted me, she's at my house.)

Louise and Marlowe's eyes widened, and they got up as well. Marlowe picked up a business card from the judge in case they needed the number, and they rushed off back to the house.

When they got home, there was a police car in the driveway. Laura was sitting in the back, screaming hysterically. None of them could make out what she was saying, but none of them cared. When they got inside, there was a cop inside talking to Von Kaiser, Lizzie, and a strange woman holding a newborn baby. When they entered, the cop turned to them. "Who are you?"

"Das ist mein Mann," said Von Kaiser, "er ist der Vater meiner Stieftochter." (That's my husband, he's my stepdaughter's father.)

"Alrighty," said the cop, going over to Joe. "Sir, your husband called us when a woman arrived here and attempted to enter. He tells me you have a restraining order against her?"

"Oui," said Joe, bringing him the copy of the restraining order, which was updated to mention that Laura was to receive jail time should she break it.

"Perfect," said the cop. "Thank you sir, and we're sorry about the disturbance." He then went back into the living room to talk to the woman. "Ma'am, were you aware of the restraining order?"

"No," she whimpered. "She told me she wanted the baby to meet her family, and I offered to take her."

The cop sighed. "Your heart's in the right place ma'am. I'll let you go on the basis of ignorance. However, I must ask that you attend a court meeting in the future to discuss custody of the baby."

Just then, there was a screech of tires; a school bus. Katrina was home from school. When the cop saw her, he ushered her inside to safety. She rushed over and hugged her father and stepfather.

"Okay, ma'am," said the cop, "are you willing to take custody of this child?"

"Yes," said the woman. "I want her to have a good life. I can't believe Laura would do this."

"Fantastic," said the cop. "I'll inform you of the court date." With that, he left and drove off with Laura still screaming from the back seat.

Once the cops had left, everyone looked over the baby. "It's so weird that we have almost the same name," said Katrina.

"Don't worry," said the woman. "I'll be giving her a new name."

"Thank you for looking out for my grandbaby," said Louise. "What's your name?"

"Spurling," said the woman, shaking her hand. "Bea Spurling. I promise, my husband and I will take good care of her."

Everyone cooed over the baby, who gently cooed.

That night, as Joe was scrolling through his FriendFindr before bed, he came across a post from Bea.

Beatrice Spurling posted:

As I lay tonight with this precious little girl, I can't help but feel bad about the betrayal that brought her to me.

Someone who I thought was my best friend had been terrorizing her own family for years. This was just the final straw.

I feel horrible that I was unknowingly endorsing this for so long, but I promise to give this dear a better life.

Eff you Laura Sanders, rot in jail

Joe put his phone down and turned the lights out. He was happy that his sort-of-niece was safe. Snuggling closer to Von Kaiser, he drifted into sleep, grateful for his friends and family.

Chapter Text

A week had passed since Bea had taken custody of Laura's baby, and now she, Joe, Katrina, Louise, Marlowe, and Lizzie were headed to court to prove that Bea should take custody.

When they arrived in court, the judge and jury were already waiting for them. They each took their seats.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and gender-non-conforming citizens," said the judge, "we are here today to determine the custody situation of this infant, whose name is yet to be determined. Her mother was arrested previously in the week, and now Mrs. Beatrice Spurling has come to us asking for full custody." He tapped his mallet. "The floor recognizes Beatrice Spurling."

Bea handed the baby off to Louise and came to the stand. "I cared for this baby as much as a mother should. I held her, fed her, all that. Frankly, I'm appalled that Laura was so reckless to bring her with her while she was knowingly breaking her restraining order."

"Did you ever suspect there was foul play involved in the situation?" The judge asked.

"Not at first," said Bea, "but after spending some time with Joey and Louise, I'm beginning to suspect that Laura only had her to get around the restraining order."

The judge nodded and tapped his mallet. "The floor recognizes Katrina Beaufort."

Katrina came up to the stand. "The only times Laura ever bothers to come see me is when she wants to take me away from my dad," she said. "The first time, I was eight, and she tried to take me from a mall. The second, I was eleven, and she tried to have him and Nana arrested."

"Had she ever tried to contact you before the incident?" The judge asked.

"No," said Katrina, "but once she found out I existed, she became obsessed with me. Let me give you a metaphor to describe it; Dad needs Vicodin to get through the day. Laura is addicted to Vicodin, and she keeps trying to steal it from Dad, even when it gets her in legal trouble. Now, her most recent attempted heist has put her in prison, and her kid is being taken away from her, all because she couldn't get help for her addiction."

"Miss Beaufort, I don't understand what you're saying," said the judge.

Just then, a cop came in with Laura. "Sorry we're late," he said to the judge, "she wasn't very cooperative."

Once they sat down, Katrina continued. "In this scenario, Vicodin is a stand-in for myself. Dad needs me, and Laura is obsessed with taking me from him, and now she's going to jail because of it."

"Are you saying I'm a druggie?" Laura glared at Katrina.

"Miss Sanders, she is not accusing you, she is speaking metaphorically," said the judge. He tapped his mallet. "The floor recognizes Viktor Von Kaiser."

Von Kaiser came to the stand. "Elizabeth und ich waren zu Hause, als Laura kam. Ich überprüfte die Türkamera und sah sie und Beatrice." (Elizabeth and I were at home when Laura came. I checked the door camera and saw her and Beatrice.)

"I understand you alerted the authorities to her presence," said the judge. "What did they do when they arrived?"

"Nun, natürlich haben sie Laura festgenommen. Sie versuchte, einen von ihnen zu schlagen, aber einer nahm das Baby, während der andere sie mit Handschellen kette." (Well, of course they arrested her. She tried to hit one of them, but one took the baby while the other handcuffed her.)

Bea raised her hand, and the judge gave her a moment to speak. "I was not aware of the restraining order until the cops arrived. I thought she just wanted to see some relatives who lived far away."

The judge nodded, and turned back to Von Kaiser. "Was Laura aware of your relationship with Katrina prior to the incident?"

"Nein," said Von Kaiser. "Sie erzählte den Leuten, dass sie verliebt waren und das Baby gehörte ihm. Ich vermute, dass sie nicht einmal wusste, dass ich existiere." (No. She was telling people they were in love and the baby was his. I suspect she didn't even know I existed.)

"Ah, paternity fraud," said the judge. "Thank you for your input." He tapped his mallet. "The floor recognizes Bradley Cash."

Wait, what? The Beaufort and their friends were surprised to see Super Macho Man emerge from the back and come to the stand. "I can back up the whole 'paternity fraud' thing. Laura was trying to say Joe was the kid's dad, so I stepped in and was like 'yo, he's gay'. She was really insistent on it, so I made up a story that she was cheating on Joe with me and I was really the father, and that made her mad enough to admit the truth."

"Mr. Cash, why would you make up such a thing?" The judge asked.

"My reputation can take it," said Super Macho Man. "If someone claimed their kid was mine, everyone would doubt them, even if it was true. And for the record, I really don't have any kids. Joey? If the rumour spread that he had an affair baby, he'd be done for. Everyone would be hounding him to step up, take responsibility, don't be a deadbeat."

"I see," said the judge. "So it was a benevolent lie to help keep Joseph out of legal trouble. Thank you, Mr. Cash." He put his mallet down. "Has the jury reached their decision?"

A woman in the jury stood up. "We, the jury, believe that Laura Sanders is unfit to keep the child. However, we are undecided if custody should be awarded to Beatrice Spurling."

"Alright," said the judge. He tapped his mallet and brought Bea back to the stand.

"You can't take my baby, you bitch!" Laura shrieked. "Joe already took Katrina, you can't have Karina too!"

"Hold on," said the judge, "Karina?"

"She gave the baby a similar name to Katrina so they could be 'sisters in spirit'," said Bea to the judge.

"I see," said the judge. "Mrs. Spurling, please state every reason you think you should be given custody of the baby."

"Well," said Bea, "my husband and I both have stable jobs, a big enough home, and easy access to childcare," she said. "Furthermore, I'm starting to think that Laura would have left all the childcare to me anyway once she couldn't use the baby as a pawn anymore."

"Alright," said the judge, "now I'd like to hear from your husband." He tapped his mallet. "The floor recognizes Veles Spurling."

Veles came to the stand and stood next to his wife. "Bea and I are both high-end employees at a tech company. Our house has a spare room that we agreed we could turn into a nursery one day, and our neighbourhood has all kinds of high school and college kids who offer babysitting services." He pursed his lips for a moment. "It's just, we've been struggling with infertility for years, and we were just about to give up."

The judge nodded. "Jury?"

Another jury member stood up. "With this new information, we've been convinced that Bea and Veles Spurling should take full custody."

"Motion carried," said the judge. "I hereby grant custody of Baby Girl Sanders to Beatrice and Veles Spurling. Meeting adjourned."

As Bea and Veles exited the stand, they were given a new copy of the birth certificate to sign. And so they signed it.

"This certificate is to welcome the birth of Alexandra Faith Spurling, born on September 7th at 8:29 am weighing 7 lbs 7 oz to Beatrice Spurling and Veles Spurling."

"Take good care of my grandbaby," said Louise as they were heading out.

"Donne-lui une meilleure vie," said Joe. (Give her a better life.)

"We will," said Bea. "We promise we'll take the best care of Alexa." She kissed her new daughter's forehead.

Chapter Text

It was a crisp evening in early October. The boxers were vibing in the lounge, listening to Aran talk about his invitation to speak at a high school gym class.

"I'm still quite appalled that they chose you of all people," quipped Narcis.

"Aw, stuff it, dolly boy," snarled Aran. "Anyway, it's tomorrow at Kadupul High School."

"Kadupul High School, ca c'est l'école de Katrina," said Joe, (Kadupul High School, that's Katrina's school.)

"Aye?" Aran sat up. "I can pick her up if ye want me to." The two of them arranged a time, and agreed that Aran would come by at 8:10 the next morning to get Katrina.

The next morning, Aran came by to pick up Katrina. "'Ere," he said, handing her a chocolate chip muffin, "Mum ran these by this mornin'."

"Thank you," said Katrina, taking a bite.

When they got there, they split up; Aran went to the gym and Katrina went to her homeroom.

"Morning, Trina," said Ms. Jewel when she came into the classroom.

"Hey, how come you weren't at the bus stop?" Annie cocked her head.

"I got a ride," said Katrina, sitting in her chair.

A few hours later, Katrina came to the gym for her Phys. Ed. class.

"Harry Bauer."

"Here."

"Katrina Beaufort."

"Here."

"She better be here, I didn't drive her ass to school just for her to cut class." Aran butted in.

Coach Reinders looked at him. "...Right." She shook her head. "Annie Carmichael."

Once attendance was taken, they began their class. "Alright, class," said Coach Reinders, "today we're each gonna come up with a way to keep ourselves motivated during our workouts. I've brought in our guest today to help us. Aran, how do you keep yourself motivated in the ring?"

"Okay," said Aran, "what I do is think to meself, 'I'm gonna win this thing'. An' I go in jus' thinkin' that. An' if I don't, it don't bother me none. I hit, I got hit, I'm satisfied."

"Alright," said Coach Reinders, "let's hear some other ideas. Masako?"

"Usually, when I get sore or tired, I take a minute to rest up before I continue," said Masako. "I find it helps keep me from pulling something."

"Great," said Coach Reinders. "How about you, Kira?"

"I usually say to myself, 'it's okay, it's okay, it's okay'. And I usually am." Kira sat up a bit straighter.

After a bit, the class all split up for Free Workout to test out their motivation plans. Katrina picked up a basketball to shoot some hoops. Her motivational motto was "if you don't get this one, you can get the next".

She landed the first few baskets, but then she missed one when something slammed into her back, letting the basketball hit her in the head. She turned and saw a volleyball bounce behind her. Looking up, she could see Veronica giving her an evil grin. "Oops."

"Oi."

Katrina jumped a bit when she heard Aran's voice. She didn't realize that he was standing so close to her. He gave Veronica an "I'm watching you" gesture before handing the basketball back to Katrina. "Alright, junior, go on with yer hoops."

When school ended, Aran and Katrina drove back to the WVBA arena, where Joe was coming out of a match. "Salut, Katie," he said when he saw his daughter. "Comment était l'école?" (Hi, Katie. How was school?)

"Good," said Katrina. "People think I'm cool now."

"Vraiment?" Joe cocked his head. "Pourquoi?" (Really? Why?)

"Cause I have a bodyguard," said Katrina, beaming.

"Yeah, I had to growl at a kid fer pickin' on her," said Aran nonchalantly.

Joe looked at him, but sighed and shook his head. He didn't really feel like arguing with him about it.

Chapter Text

The winds were brisk, and the leaves were orange. Katrina was going into the locker room with a duffel bag over her shoulder. It was a big day for her; today was her big title fight against King Hippo. If she won, she would become the Minor Circuit champion. She pulled on her boots and went out to get her gloves from Pierce.

"So," said Pierce, fitting Chaton Cheri into her gloves, "title bout, eh?"

"Yeah," said Chaton Cheri, bouncing on her toes a bit.

Pierce fixed her gloves on. "Good luck, kiddo."

"In this corner, we have the menacing, overpowering island monarch, King Hippo! And in this corner, she's tiny and mighty, she's Daddy's Little Powerhouse, Chaton Cheri! Fight!"

Chaton Cheri hopped around, but stopped when she found that King Hippo didn't ever move from one spot. She threw a few punches, but King Hippo easily blocked them all. Eventually, King Hippo opened her maw and raised an arm to hit back. Luckily for Chaton Cheri, watching her father for years has its benefits, and she remembered that was the best opportunity to hit her.

King Hippo wasn't completely dumb, however, and she threw back with her Hippo Squeeze. Chaton Cheri stumbled back and took a moment to catch her breath. She shook her head and came back with a flurry of jabs as King Hippo laughed.

In the audience, Joe anxiously wrung his hands. Chaton Cheri had already lost to King Hippo twice before. If she lost again, her win-loss rating would be completely balanced. Even though she never expressed it, he still thought she would feel like a failure if she went down the same losing streak as him.

After a quick break in between rounds, Chaton Cheri and King Hippo were back at it. Chaton Cheri quickly hopped around until King Hippo got frustrated and yelled, giving her the opportunity to throw in at least seven gut-punches.

"Hey, did you notice we both wear pink gloves?" Chaton Cheri asked. King Hippo looked at both of their gloves, and marvelled at them. While she was distracted, Chaton Cheri went in for more blows.

And then she did it. She threw a jab that finally knocked King Hippo over. The crowd went wild cheering for their new champion. Chaton Cheri shrieked with joy when she realised what she had just done.

As she was coming out of the locker room, Joe and Von Kaiser rushed Katrina and lifted her up on their shoulders. They were immensely proud of her.

"Alright, down on the ground," said Pierce, gesturing for the two to put her down so she could receive her belt. It was a bit of a hard fit because she was so small, but he eventually got it on her.

Joe and Von Kaiser fussed over their little winner. King Hippo, who was taking her loss surprisingly well, picked her up and squeezed her. "Viens, Katie," said Joe, urging her to follow him, "on va cuire le spaghetti avec les petits pains d'ail pour le diner; ton préféré." (Come on, Katie, we'll make spaghetti with garlic buns for dinner; your favourite.)

About a week later, Pierce approached Katrina with the proposition to be moved up to the Major Circuit. "It's easier to have five in each than six in one and four in the other."

Katrina thought for a moment, and nodded. "Yeah. That sounds good."

Pierce nodded, and turned. "Lulu; you're getting your belt back!"

King Hippo came over, and once Pierce finished his circuit paperwork, she had the belt back over her shoulder. Pierce then brought Katrina over to the rest of the Major Circuit boxers. "Alright, fellas, you've got a fifth now."

Bear Hugger and Great Tiger were welcoming, with encouraging words and pats on the head. Don didn't pay too much attention to her; he was on the phone. Piston Hondo only gave her a doubtful look, with an eyebrow cocked, before returning to looking off, with an aloof look on his face.

Katrina pouted. She bet that she could totally beat him in a fight and be Major Circuit champion if she tried hard enough. She even beat Aran Ryan; Piston Hondo's probably never done that. Yeah, I can totally beat you, she thought, you watch me!

Chapter Text

It was a dark, creepy Halloween night. All of the boxers were huddled in the lounge to watch a horror movie together. "Trust me, this one's bone-chilling," said Disco Kid, showing them the DVD box.

"Heathers: The Original Cut?" Super Macho Man cocked an eyebrow. "Ain't that a chick flick?"

"Don't be fooled," said Disco Kid, "it's actually really scary." He put the disc in, set everything up, and soon enough, the movie started.

During the first few minutes, Super Macho Man still wasn't convinced. "This is just 80s Mean Girls."

"No, no maldicen tanto en Mean Girls," said Don. (No, they don't swear as much in Mean Girls.) When some of the other boxers looked at him, he shrugged. "¿No recuerdas que pensé que era una niña hasta los diecinueve años? Además, a Carmen le encanta." (Don't you remember I thought I was a girl until I was nineteen? Besides, Carmen loves it.)

As the movie progressed, Joe became more and more grateful that Katrina wasn't old enough to watch this movie, and had instead decided to do a Halloween fashion show/baking party with Annie, Janet, and Masako. These girls were really mean, and she certainly wouldn't have liked seeing her mother's name be associated with such brutes.

And then the moment of truth; "Corn nuts!"

"Holy crap," said Bear Hugger, "that girl just died!"

"It gets worse from here," said Disco Kid, who was starting to tremble.

About halfway into the movie, Disco Kid suddenly got up and hurried out of the room. Curious, the other boxers sent Aran to go find him. Aran soon found Disco Kid in the locker room, looking shaken. "Oi," said Aran, "what's yer damage?"

"I know the movie gets really scary from there," said Disco Kid. "I thought I could handle it, but…I don't think I can."

"Ah, come on, Thomas," said Aran, "that li'l creep ain't real. An' even if 'e was, yer a boxer. You could snap 'im in half if you wanted to."

Disco Kid pursed his lips for a moment, then took on a strong expression. "Yeah. I'd snap him in half if I ever saw him." He stood up. "Alright. I can finish this movie." They got up and went back to the lounge.

Once the movie was finished, the entire league was shocked at what they just watched. "तो वे सब अंत में मर जाते हैं ?!" (So they all just die at the end?!)

"I mean, if it worked for Little Shop, I guess they figured it'd work for Heathers," said Flying Feather.

Joe checked his phone, and found a message from Katrina, saying she and her friends were taking the bus to come to the arena with cupcakes. As soon as he finished reading the message, he heard the door closing and a handful of girls giggling. He got up. "Viens, vous autres, ma fille nous porte les friandises." (Come on, you guys, my daughter brought us treats.)

He found the girls and ushered them into the lounge. Annie was carrying a tray of chocolate cupcakes with purple, green, and orange frosting. Everyone had one, and talked about various things.

"It's green, ye sure this ain't gonna turn me int'a mutant?" Aran joked. Annie, Janet, and Masako froze up and stuttered when they realized he was there. Aran just chuckled. "What, yer friend kicked me arse and yer still scared o' me?"

"Aran, quit tormenting them," said Mr. Sandman.

"Why, it's fun," said Aran. He fake-growled at the three girls, and they squealed and ran out of the room. Aran heaved a heart belly laugh.

Chapter Text

It was a cold evening under a starless sky. In a sterile, eerily quiet hospital waiting room sat Katrina Beaufort, fourteen years old, beginner boxer at the WVBA, and possibly an orphan.

No, that's crazy talk. It couldn't be that bad. Dad's taken all kinds of beatings before.

...But then, they usually weren't bad enough to land him in the hospital.

It had been such a normal day; she had just been at home after a long day at school, putting her books away and writing down a reminder to bring four dollars for lunch money the next day when she'd gotten a phone call from the hospital. A doctor had, as gently as possible, explained to her that her father had collapsed, wailing in pain after his most recent match, and had to be taken to the emergency room.

"Katrina?"

She looked up. That same doctor was approaching her.

"How is he?" Katrina needed to know if Dad was okay, like, yesterday.

"Well," said the doctor, "once we looked him over, we found that his appendix had been injured. We need to take it out."

Katrina's heart went cold. Had Dad finally taken one punch too many? This was his ninety-ninth loss; surely something like this was bound to happen eventually.

"Now, there's no cause for alarm," continued the doctor. "Appendectomies are simple. You'll be able to see your father by tomorrow morning."

At that point, Von Kaiser finally burst into the waiting room, frazzled and out of breath. "Wo ist er?" (Where is he?)

"You must be Viktor," said the doctor. "We've just got your husband in for surgery. He should be well enough to visit first thing tomorrow."

Von Kaiser sighed, and gestured for Katrina to come. Katrina trailed behind her stepfather as they exited the hospital.

After a deafeningly silent car trip, Von Kaiser and Katrina arrived back at the WVBA arena. When they got inside, Pierce saw them and went to them. "How is he?"

"Anhang Verletzung," said Von Kaiser. "Während wir sprechen, liegt er auf dem Operationstisch." (Appendix injury. He's on the operating table as we speak.)

Pierce clenched his jaw and put a hand on Von Kaiser's shoulder. "Here's hoping he has a speedy recovery."

Katrina breezed past them and went to the locker room. She stood in front of Joe's locker. Each boxer got a metallic sticker of their stage name to place over their locker, and she still remembered the day that the new sticker came in the mail. She pressed her forehead to the locker door, hoping and praying that Dad would be okay. She was so focused on the locker that she didn't even hear the curtain rustling.

"Oi."

Katrina looked up and saw Aran standing next to her. "What?"

Aran clenched his jaw for a moment, but sighed when he saw just how shaken Katrina was. "I was there when yer aul man went down. Screamin' like 'e was bein' murdered. I let 'im squeeze me hand till th' ambulance came." He shook his hand for a moment. "'E's got a mighty grip."

Katrina wrapped her arms around him. She just wanted someone to lean on. Aran was taken aback at first, but picked her up and brought her to the lounge room, where Von Kaiser was sitting on the couch, looking lost, with Bear Hugger and Flying Feather by his side, softly saying comforting things to him. Katrina laid her head down on Aran's shoulder. She wanted this whole mess to be over.

Von Kaiser shook his head and stood up. "Komm schon, Katie. Wir sollten etwas zu Abend essen gehen." (Come on, Katie. We should go have some dinner.) He took Katrina's hand, gently thanked Bear Hugger and Flying Feather for their consolation, and walked out of the arena.

When they got home, Von Kaiser and Katrina simply sat on the couch. They realised that neither of them were particularly hungry, and they certainly weren't in the mood for cooking. Katrina picked up her phone, and found that her message inbox was exploding.

Louise sent: Is your father okay? (6:23 pm)

Gina sent: Comment va Joseph? (How is Joseph?) (6:47 pm)

Janet sent: Hey I hope your dad is okay (7:02 pm)

As she was reading them all, there was a frantic knock at the door. Von Kaiser answered, and there was Amélie, looking frazzled and panicked. "Où est mon gars?!" (Where is my boy?!)

"Beruhige dich, Amélie. Er ist gerade im Krankenhaus und wird operiert." (Calm down, Amélie. He's at the hospital right now, having his operation.) Von Kaiser soothed his mother-in-law until she calmed down.

Katrina just wanted some peace, so she went upstairs, shut herself in her room, and texted Annie.

Katrina sent: Are you there? (7:15 pm)

. . .

Annie sent: Yeah what's up (7:23 pm)

Katrina sent: I'm sad (7:24 pm)

Annie sent: About your dad? (7:24 pm)

Katrina sent: Yeah (7:25 pm)

Annie sent: I hope he feels better soon (7:25 pm)

Annie sent: I mean he probably will…your dad's kinda badass ngl (7:27 pm)

Katrina sent: Thank you (7:27 pm)

Before she could continue, she started getting notification after notification from the WVBA group chat.

deathclover317 sent: yo junior are u there? (7:27 pm)

deathclover317 sent: hey (7:27 pm)

deathclover317 sent: hey (7:27 pm)

deathclover317 sent: hey (7:27 pm)

deathclover317 sent: hey (7:28 pm)

kittykat08 replied to deathclover317's message: I just got home!!!!! What do you want!!!!! (7:28 pm)

sexymachobeast69 replied to deathclover317's message: dude quit spamming (7:28 pm)

deathclover317 replied to kittykat08's message: hows your old man? (7:29 pm)

deathclover317 replied to sexymachobeast69's message: kiss my arse (7:29 pm)

kittykat08 sent: He's still in the hospital (7:30 pm)

deathclover317 sent: oh (7:30 pm)

sexymachobeast69 replied to deathclover317's message: dumbass (7:31 pm)

the_boss31 replied to deathclover317's message: yeah, real mature there aran (7:31 pm)

deathclover317 replied to the_boss31's message: you can kiss it too sandy (7:32 pm)

the_boss31 replied to deathclover317's message: HEY (7:32 pm)

Katrina sighed and put her phone down before the group chat could devolve into a huge, profanity-laden argument.

"Katrina?"

Katrina opened her eyes. It was now morning, and Amélie was standing over her. She hadn't even realised that she had fallen asleep. "Morning, Grandma," she mumbled.

"Ton beau-père s'appelle ton école et se dit que tu vas rester ici aujourd'hui," said Amélie. "Nous allons avoir une journée de famille." (Your stepfather called your school and told them that you're staying here today. We're going to have a family day.)

Katrina rubbed her eyes and sat up. "Has the hospital called back yet?"

"Non," said Amélie, "mais nous attendons pour l'appelle." (No, but we're waiting for the call.)

The two went downstairs to eat some breakfast. While they were eating, the phone rang. Von Kaiser jumped up to answer. "Guten Tag? … Ja. … Ja. … Okay, wir sind bald da." (Hello? … Yes. … Yes. …Okay, we'll be there soon.) He hung up the phone and looked towards Amélie and Katrina with a warm smile. "Joseph ist jetzt bereit für Besucher." (Joseph is now ready for visitors.)

Hospital rooms are eerily like hotel rooms; the bed is comfortable, but doesn't feel like home, the windows are huge, and you have to search for a while to find something to watch on TV.

Joe sighed. He certainly was feeling better after his surgery, but he was very lonely in this room all by himself.

All by himself; no one was in the bed on the other side of the room? There must not be many patients in this hospital today.

"Joseph?"

Joe looked up. A nurse was poking her head inside. "Your family is on their way to see you."

Joe brightened up. He had really missed his family. While he was waiting, he found that Life with Johnny in California was airing its final episode that day. The end of an era, he thought.

As the first commercial break came on, the door opened. Amélie slipped into the room. Once she was in the room, she went right over to her son's side and kissed his forehead. "Oh, je suis tellement reconnaissant que tu y vas. Je t'adore." (Oh, I'm so glad you're okay. I love you.)

"Je t'adore aussi, maman," said Joe softly. "Est-ce que Viktor et Katrina sont ici?" (I love you too, mum. Are Viktor and Katrina here?)

As soon as he asked, Von Kaiser entered the room, with Katrina trailing behind him. Von Kaiser kissed Joe's cheek, and they pressed their foreheads together. When he let up, Katrina took his place and hugged her father. "I love you, daddy."

"Je t'adore aussi, ma brave fille," said Joe, kissing his daughter's forehead. (I love you too, my brave girl.)

When the commercials ended, the four sat together to watch the finale. By the end, they were thoroughly satisfied with the conclusion. By then, the nurse had come back. "Mr. Beaufort, you should be clear to leave by tomorrow morning."

"D'accord," said Joe. He turned to Katrina. "Tu sais, demain c'est l'anniversaire de la jour que je te prendre a la maison." (You know, tomorrow is the anniversary of the day I first brought you home.) He held her close. "Et je ne vais jamais changer." (And I would never change that.)

Katrina nuzzled into the crook of her father's neck, happy that he was all better.

The next day, as agreed, Joe was discharged from the hospital, and the three of them went to the arena. The other boxers were happy to see him doing better. "Ye shoulda seen yer li'l lass," said Aran in a teasing manner, "she was cryin' on me shoulder-"

"No I wasn't!" Katrina protested, punching him on the arm to get him to stop lying. Aran just laughed. As the adults talked, she decided to wander off, and found Pierce writing on a clipboard. She looked over his shoulder.

MINOR CIRCUIT
#4 Joseph "Glass Joe" Beaufort
#3 Viktor Von Kaiser
#2 Thomas "Disco Kid" Miller
#1 James "Narcis" Prince
CHAMPION King Lulu Hippo

MAJOR CIRCUIT
#4 Katrina "Chaton Cheri" Beaufort
#3 Barnaby "Bear Hugger" Forrester
#2 Amar "Great Tiger" Khan
#1 Romeo "Don Flamenco" Cabello
CHAMPION Riki "Piston Hondo" Kobayashi

WORLD CIRCUIT
#5 Aran Ryan
#4 Soda Popinski
#3 Bahadir "Bald Bull" Tiryaki
#2 Bradley "Super Macho Man" Cash
#1 Beth "Flying Feather" McCauldy
CHAMPION Xander "Mr. Sandman" Whittier

"What are you doing?" Katrina asked, making Pierce nearly jump out of his skin.

"Just making sure the rankings are all in order," said Pierce. "We've got a new guy coming in today."

As he was saying that, the door closed. Katrina looked up. Whoa, she thought. That was Doc Louis! She remembered watching his title fight years ago. And by his side was…Maxwell Vancelli?

"Doc, great to see you again," said Pierce. "And I'm guessing you're Little Mac?"

Mac nodded. Once the registration was complete, he looked up and around at the arena, quite impressed.

"Come on," said Katrina, "I'll show you your locker." She took his wrist and the two ran off.