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Chapter Text

Cesar wasn't a monster; he was still human. He still had memories. He still eats food. He still loves Mark with all his heart. He had spoken for the first time in 17 years, which shocked him. He thought he could only chirp, squeak, and growl because of the attack. He thought the alternate damaged his vocal cords so badly he can't communicate past making bird. He honestly didn't know how he had even survived the alternate attack back in 1992, but he knew it had something to do with the hooded man. He would feel threatened when the hooded man was around him and Mark; he just knew he had something to do with his parents' deaths. So, he stayed away from them, thinking it was best for Adam, Jonah, Evelyn, and Sarah. Mark was the only one who visited him, trying to talk, but he didn't want to talk. He didn't want anyone else to see him.


One week later, after escaping the Mandela Police Department.


Mark came to the conclusion that working alongside Sarah and BPS was manageable; all he had to do was gather information on the houses Adam and Jonah were examining, help with loading the van, or keep an eye on his boyfriend. Meanwhile, Evelyn worked as a secretary, handling records or the recordings that Adam and Jonah had taken during their investigations. Evelyn was quite helpful; she would point out the difference between a haunting and an alternate attack. After Mark finished loading the van, he smoked a cigarette while leaning against it. He knew it was a bad habit, but he didn't care. It was the only thing that could help him with distress after all these years on the run from his uncle, the Mandela Police Department, the FBI, and the entire US government. "Hey Mark!" He looked up, and Jonah was leaning out from the van. "What do you want, Jon?" Mark asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you want to tag along with us?" Jonah asked. Mark looked at him with a puzzled expression and gave him the finger, thinking the kid was joking around. "Oh, I mean it. Adam really wants you to come with us!" Jonah added. Mark kept giving that expression that he would always give to people when they annoyed him or when people kept getting under his skin, but he thankfully had less of a temper thanks to his parents. "Are you kidding me? You want me, the guy who barely survived multiple alternate attacks, to investigate a potential attack?" Mark asked, letting out a small laugh. Jonah nodded his head in response. "Yeah, you can totally tag along with us!" Jonah responded. "You can also bring the thing in your room!" Adam yelled from within the van, which caused Jonah to punch him in his side. "Okay, fine, let me go get him." Mark said, finishing his cigarette and stomping it out on the ground. "Be right back." Mark walked up to an isolated part of the warehouse where he and Cesar sleep. Sarah explains that he can stay, but he has to sleep far away from the others. She still fears that he is going to do something in his sleep.


Mark peeked into their room and saw Cesar sitting on the bed, looking at the wall. It had been a week since their escape from their hellhole of a hometown, and Cesar hadn't said another word after Six healed his vocal cords. Mark walked up to his boyfriend and sat beside him. "Hi, honey!" Mark said, placing a hand on Cesar's shoulder to comfort him. "How are you doing?" Mark asked, brushing his hand through Cesar's hair. Cesar shrugged, still not talking or even looking at Mark. "Come on, Ces, you need to at least talk to me. This isn't healthy!" Mark pleaded, grabbing Cesar's hands and placing them on his face. Cesar still didn't make any eye contact with him; he just continued to stare at the wall, quickly pulling his hands away from Mark's face. Mark knew that Cesar didn't want to be seen by anyone still. He grabbed his walkie-talkie, realizing that he wouldn't be able to go with the kids on their investigations. "Hey Adam! I don't think we can go. Cesar's alternate side is acting up, and I need to stay here with him!" Mark said into his walkie-talkie. "Aww, come on, man! Fine! I guess I, Jonah, Evelyn, and Sarah are going ALONE!" Adam complained through his radio. Mark rolled his eyes before switching off his walkie-talkie. "Ces, come on, honey, you need to talk to me," Mark said, scooting closer to him. Mark wrapped his arm around his boyfriend, pulling him closer. Mark hadn't heard his voice in almost seventeen years; since the incident, he hasn't wanted to lose the way his voice has sounded. He kissed Cesar on the forehead, causing him to curl up next to Mark. "It's okay, Ces!" Mark said, rubbing his back comfortingly. "We're safe here!" Mark whispered in his ear. Cesar kept avoiding eye contact with Mark, staring at the wall instead. Mark wondered if Cesar was ashamed of what he had become. "Ces... please just talk to me... I'm here, my love; just talk to me..." he begged. Cesar still didn't respond. "Don't worry, Cesar. I'll be here as long as you want me to," Mark reassured him. "I won't leave your side," he whispered into his ear.


He heard his boyfriend trying to get him to talk, and he hated it. He's afraid of himself and what he has become; he is a monster, a freak, something that doesn't belong here; he doesn't deserve this kind of love. He heard Mark's beating heart; it was comforting to know that he was still alive and breathing. "M... Mark..." Cesar whispered, turning his head around, looking up at Mark. "Yeah, honey! What is it?" He asked as he started to run his hand through his hair, trying to comfort him. "I... do... not... want... to be seen..." Cesar responded before crawling away from his boyfriend, lying down on the other side of the bed, looking at the ceiling. He still didn't understand why Mark would stay with him after he was transformed into a monster. Mark followed behind him, also lying down next to him. "I know, but I want to see you!" Mark said. Cesar knew this was sadly the first true conversation in 17 years, but he was afraid to even let his lover hear his voice. "W...hy... I'm... a freak," Cesar said, not looking at Mark. He couldn't even look at his boyfriend, fearing his own voice would be harmful towards him. Mark grabbed him and pulled him closely. "You're not one! You are not a freak; you're Cesar Francisco Torres, not this other part," Mark said, noticing the pair of horns on top of Cesar's head. This caused Mark to smirk slightly; he knew how to lighten the mood. "You know, these are kinda hot!" Mark said, touching Cesar's horns, which caused Cesar to playfully hit his arm and quickly move his tail around. "You... know... I... I hate it when... you touch... them!" Cesar mumbled. "Yeah! But they are cute and kind of hot!" Mark said, kissing his forehead. He just continued to stroke his horns while Cesar rested his head on Mark's shoulder. Cesar immediately realized and sensed his boyfriend's heartbeat. It sounded nice, and he loved it. Mark slowly drifted off to sleep while Cesar continued to listen to everything about his partner—his breathing and his heartbeat. It sounded perfect, and he dug his head more into his chest. He continued to purr and snuggle up into Mark, resting his head on his boyfriend's chest. He closed his eyes, enjoying this quiet moment between them.

Adam parked the van outside of the warehouse in a rush. He was pissed on how the investigation went. The homeowner didn't even pay them the full amount that was promised. He growled, "Man! We only got $300!" Jonah, Evelyn, and Sarah jumped out of the van. "Do investigations usually go like that?" Evelyn asked. "It depends! But the last investigation that we had before we all got arrested, the one in Mandela, lasted 3-5 hours! Never this short!" Jonah explained. As Adam grabbed a black blanket and covered the whole van, he was annoyed at how little money they got from this investigation. He was honestly glad that Mark and Cesar didn't go with them. He would have never heard the end of it from Mark. As they entered the warehouse, Adam immediately felt something was wrong. He looked around and knew someone was here before they arrived at the warehouse. He walked away from the group, trying to find whoever was here. "Adam?" Evelyn called out. "Yeah, babe?" he responded. "Where did you go?" she asked. "I'm just looking for something!" Adam responded. He walked farther into the warehouse, trying to find the person. He found himself in the area where Mark and Cesar were currently staying. He suddenly realized that he could hear almost everything around him: Jonah was lighting a cigarette, Sarah pulling up a chair, Evelyn counting the money, Mark snoring, strange purring coming from their shared room, which must have been coming from Cesar, and someone trying to kick the window open. He quickly grabbed a metal baseball bat and rushed towards the storage room. He swung open the door and saw a figure crawling through the window and falling to the floor. He switched on the light and saw a teenager, about 17-18 years old, with a backpack and wearing a hoodie. "Umm, who the fuck are you?" he asked. The kid looked up at him. "Is this the Bythorne Paranormal Society?" the kid asked. "Uh... yeah... what do you want? Are you working with the feds or the police?" he asked, still holding the bat. "Oh, thank God!" the kid said, picking himself up. Now standing up, he removed his hoodie, revealing familiar pitch-black hair and brown eyes. He was clearly very Hispanic or Latino, judging by his tan skin. "Hi! My name is Benjamin Diego Torres! And I'm here for employment and to see my older brother!" Benjamin responded. Adam walked out of the room, quickly peeked his head out, and saw Sarah walking down the hallway, probably going to Mark and Cesar's room. "Uhh... Sarah!" he called out to her. "Yeah?" she responded. "Does Cesar have any siblings?" he asked. "Yeah! Maria, Gabriella, and Benjamin, or Benny for short! Why?" He turned his attention to the kid, who continued to stand in that place. "¡Ay, no puede ser, he perdido mis gafas! ¡Deben haberse caído de mi rostro cuando me tumbé por la ventana!" Benjamin grabbed his glasses and spoke in his native language. Sarah entered the storage room, stunned. "Benny?"

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"Hey, Sarah! Long time no see!" Benjamin greeted, waving at her. Sarah just looked at him, then at Adam, in complete disbelief at seeing Benjamin, or Benny, for the first time in two years. "B... Benny, how did you...?" "Oh, I ran away from home; Maria and Gabriella don't know, or at least not until in a few more hours!" Benjamin explained to Sarah. She looked at him, then at him again, "Look! Benny, you can't stay. You're still a minor, and half of us are already wanted by the FBI and the MPD. We don't want aiding and abetting in a runaway added to some of our charges!" Sarah explained. "Well... I'm here already. I don't want to go back, please!" Benjamin begged. Sarah nodded her head in response and gestured for him to leave. "No, no! Benny, you still need to leave!" Sarah claimed. She walked away, but he followed behind her, as did Adam. "Sarah! I don't think it's best for him to go back to Mandela!" Adam said to Sarah. "Yeah, it's best for me to stay here!" Benjamin chimed in. Sarah just kept walking, ignoring Benjamin, leading him to the exit. Until she stopped and turned around, looking at him. "Wait, how did you even know we were here in the first place, anyway?" Sarah asked. "Oh! As I was walking towards Bythorne to see if you guys were somewhere around, until I saw a van, I followed it, and it led to this warehouse! Now I'm here to hide from them and to see my older brother!" Benjamin explained. Sarah just shook her head in response, looking at Benjamin. "Please, at least let me see Cesar. It's been 17 years since I last saw him!" Benjamin added. Sarah looked at Adam, who made a face at her as soon as Benjamin said that. "Benny, look, you can't see Cesar. He isn't the same person he was 17 years ago!" Sarah said. Benjamin looked at her, then pulled out a stack of letters that were tied together by a string. "I know!" Sarah raised an eyebrow, looking at the unfamiliar letters. "I'm aware that your brother and mine have been involved for the last 17 years, and I couldn't care less about his sexual orientation, whether he's bisexual or gay! Let me see my brother now!" Benjamin shouted. Adam looked at Sarah, then at Benjamin. Sarah just looked at him. "What?"


Cesar opened his eyes and saw that Mark was still sleeping peacefully. He was holding him in his arms. He snuggled his head up against him, happy with the skin-to-skin contact they were sharing. Mark felt warm, and he loved the feeling of their bodies touching. He started purring and rubbing all over Cesar's body, even wrapping his tail around Mark's leg. They both hoped they could stay like this for a while longer. Then, Cesar heard something that made both of his ears perk up in curiosity. It was a young person's voice, along with Sarah and Adam's voices. He immediately got out of Mark's grip, getting off the bed, and rushed towards the door. He opened it and looked outside, trying to see where the voices were coming from. He closed the door behind him and walked down the hallway where they were possibly at. As he turned the corner, he saw a teenager arguing with Adam and Sarah. The kid looked very, very familiar, but Cesar couldn't remember where he had seen him before. He kept arguing and pleading to stay, but Sarah kept telling him to leave. Then the subject changed to his and Mark's relationship. The teenager pulled out a familiar stack of letters he hadn't seen in seventeen years. "I'm aware that your brother and mine have been involved for the last 17 years, and I couldn't care less about his sexual orientation, whether he's bisexual or gay! Let me see my brother now!" he shouted. Adam and Sarah looked at each other, and all she got out was confused, "What?" The teenager gave her a confused look, as if he was expecting her to already know. Adam quickly took the stack of letters away from the teenager, looked at them, and then at the kid. Cesar just watched them, trying to place a finger on who this kid is. "Benny, what are you talking about?" Sarah asked. Adam took an envelope and opened it. The kid, apparently named Benny, continued to look at Sarah with a dumbfounded look. "Wait, do you know?" he asked. Adam took the letter from inside and began to read it, his jaw dropping in surprise. "Benjamin, what are you talking about...?" "Uhh... Sarah?" "Yeah?" Adam showed her the letter, pointing out the handwriting. "Isn't this Mark's handwriting?" he said. Sarah grabbed the letter and started to read it. Cesar walked over, now realizing that this kid could know something about him and Mark's past.


Cesar snatched the letters from Adam, holding his ears down. "Cesar, what is this?" Sarah asked. He remained silent, simply gazing at the two with a defensive expression, his ears pressed flat against his head. He was trying not to let out a growl. He looked at the teenager, and he looked familiar. He wasn't sure where he had seen him before. Sarah got between him and the teenager, while Adam held him back. "Sarah? Does he not remember me?" the kid asked. "I'm not sure; I don't know how his alternate side affected his memories and brain!" Sarah responded. The kid looked at him, and Cesar saw that he looked like his father. "He claims he's your brother?" Adam said. Cesar looked at Adam, then at the teenager, trying to see if he could recognize him and why he had those letters. "It's Benjamin, your brother? I'm not sure if you even remember!" Sarah said. As soon as she said that name, Cesar became less defensive, looking at Benjamin. He hadn't seen him since he was a baby, 17 years since he left town. "I ran away from home. Please let me crash here! I don't mind you being gay or bi; I just don't want to go back to our hometown." Benjamin begged. Cesar sighed, his ears pinned downwards, completely annoyed. Maybe this is how Mark felt when Sarah found them after leaving town herself back in 2007. He turned his head towards Sarah, and he slowly opened his mouth, revealing sharp teeth. "Let him... stay, S... S...ara...h!" Cesar said. He quickly grabbed back the letter from her hand. Adam released him, and he looked at the letter, folding it and placing it back into the envelope. "Also, I came to warn you all! And too delivered... umm... THOSE letters. Please let me explain," Benjamin added. "We'll talk about it in a minute, Benny." Sarah responded. He walked away, holding the letters tightly. He was happy to see them for the first time in 17 years.


Cesar opened the door and walked into his and Mark's room. He closed the door behind him to ensure that Mark could continue to sleep undisturbed. He observed Mark, who was still slumbering peacefully, unaffected by his exit from the bed. He couldn't help but let out a small giggle. Mark could sleep through anything without waking up. Cesar sighed, hoping that they could have some alone time for a while. He opened the bedside dresser and placed the letters inside, wanting to keep them hidden from prying eyes. He also wanted to read them later, as they held memories from the early stages of their relationship when they were teenagers. Laying back on the bed, Cesar nestled against Mark, placing his head on his chest, longing for the comforting rhythm of his heartbeat. As soon as he felt Mark's warmth, he instantly felt more at ease. He closed his eyes, hoping to finally get some rest, and was grateful that it was just the two of them, alone together.


"Okay, Benjamin, other than delivering those letters that were exchanged between your brother and my brother, why are you here? And what do you mean by warning us?" Sarah asked. She and Adam sat him down in the common area, deciding to talk to him in private rather than talking in front of the other BPS members. "It's about your uncle and Ruth!" "What about them?" Adam asked. Benjamin took a deep breath, unsure of how she would react. "They are no longer working on case #45567. They have stepped down." Benjamin explained, gesturing around his seat. "What? Why would they step?" Sarah remarked. Benjamin shrugged in response, then added, "I'm not sure... he just stepped down from the case. I snuck into the police station to steal the letters when I overheard him having the conversation with someone from the FBI. I left the station before that conversation was finished!" "So you don't know why they are no longer on the case?" Adam asked. Benjamin shook his head in response, "Will, if you're going to stay here, you need to at least have a job, but for now, stay in Mark's and your brother's room." Sarah said. Benjamin got up, grabbed his backpack, swung it over his shoulder, and walked towards their room. "Oh! And Benny!" Sarah called out, and Benjamin stopped and looked back. "Yeah?" "If you see something wrong with Cesar, wake up Mark and call me!" Sarah said. He nodded and continued walking towards his brother's room.


"So...." Adam leaned against his chair and rested his feet on the table. "Cesar and Mark go beyond being just 'roommates.'" He remarked as he air-quoted the roommate's part. "They're boyfriends!" he said. Sarah looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Is that a problem to you or something?" she asked. Adam grinned at her and shook his head. "Oh no, that's not a problem to me. There's no way he can criticize me for being all sweet and loving with Evelyn!" Adam teased, grinning. Sarah rolled her eyes in annoyance at his comment. "Shut up!" she said, hitting his arm. Adam grinned back at her. "Oh, come on, Sarah! You read it, too! He can't say anything when Evelyn and I are being all kissy and touchy-feely!" Adam said. She didn't even come up with a remark because it was actually kind of true. The letter that she read was quite cheesy and corny. Sarah wanted to die from secondhand embarrassment when she read it. There were too many pet names between them. "I think it's best to talk to him about it later!" Sarah said. Adam nodded in agreement with Sarah's statement. "You know, I wonder if they were together all these years, why didn't you notice?" he asked. "Now that I'm thinking about it, the first time that Mark and I reunited, I did find it weird that they were sharing a room together!" she admitted. Adam let out a snort, banging his fist on the table. "Wait! You didn't know? Or at least ask him?" Adam said. Sarah looked at him, giving him a finger. "Oh, don't give me that look! How come you didn't know?" he said. "Adam, I just didn't—!" Jonah ran into the common room area, panicking. "ADAM!" Jonah shouted, running towards the two. "Jonah, what's going on?" "It's about Evelyn."


When Benjamin opened the door to his brother's and Mark's room, Cesar immediately perk his head up in from where it was. As soon as he walked in, the two brothers made eye contact. "Oh... ummmm... Sarah told me to stay in your room," Benjamin said. Cesar pointed towards the couch, where he could rest. Benjamin walked towards it, hopping over it to sit down. Cesar shook his head in annoyance at his brother's habits; he definitely inherited their father's behavior. Benjamin sat down on the couch, finally happy to rest his legs after walking for a long time from Mandela all the way to BPS headquarters. It was actually quite dangerous. He literally had to grab a metal baseball bat to defend himself from whatever was watching him. He sat up and saw that his brother and Mark were holding each other closely; it kind of reminded him of when their parents were still alive. But he also realized that they seriously needed to sit down and talk. "Cesar!" Benjamin yelled. Cesar's eyes opened, his head turning towards him. He tilted his head in confusion. "Benn... Benjamin? Wh...at yo...u wa...nt?" Cesar said. Benjamin just started to fidget around in his seat; he was uncertain about how to begin the conversation, but they really needed to talk. "We need to talk; it's about Mom, Dad, Maria, and Gabby!" he said. Cesar just sat there looking at him; he blinked at him, staring at him, then at Mark, who was still sleeping. Benjamin looked away. 'Okay! Ben! Maybe this is not the time to talk!' He thought. When he looked back, Cesar was inches from him; he didn't even hear him walking. "WHAT THE FUCK!" he shouted, jumping and falling off the couch, which caused Mark to immediately sit up. "Ces! What time is it?" he asked, yawning.


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Evelyn wasn't sure what had happened; one minute, she was standing behind her desk, sorting out some film that her boyfriend had taken, and the next minute, she started to feel dizzy and sick. She felt a pounding headache forming. She leaned against the desk, trying to hold herself up, but she ended up throwing up on her desk. Jonah walked over, asking if she was okay. Then everything went black. By the time she woke up, she had been in the infirmary, with Adam, her boyfriend, by her side. "OMG! Evey, thank goodness you're okay!" Adam said, hugging her. Sarah suddenly appeared behind him. She sat up, looking around. "What... what... what happened?" she asked. "You passed out. Are you okay?" Sarah asked. Evelyn looked around, seeing that she was in the infirmary of BPS, unsure of why she even passed out. Her eyes scanned the room; she still felt sick and dizzy. Then her eyes landed on the doorway; she saw a tall figure outside; she could see their face, looking directly at her. But as soon as she saw them, they disappeared. "Why did you pass out?" Sarah asked. "I'm not sure. I just felt sick and lightheaded, and I just collapsed," she replied. She jumped off the bed, and Adam got up, supporting her weight. "Take it slow, love!" Adam said as he kissed her on her forehead. "I'm okay; I just need to rest!" she said, rubbing her head and still feeling a headache. "Alright, Adam, lead her to your room; make sure she gets some rest," Sarah stated. Adam guided his girlfriend out of the infirmary, both of them making their way to the room they shared. "Don't worry, baby, I got you!" Adam said, reassuring her.


Cesar looked at his boyfriend, Mark, as he stretched his back. "Ces? What time is it?" Mark said, yawning. Once he saw Benjamin, Mark squinted his eyes at him, trying to see if he recognized him. "Benny?" Mark said. Benjamin sat up fully, grinning widely. "Hi, I met up with Sarah! She says I could stay here until she finds a room that I can stay in!" Benjamin said, waving at him. Mark just looked at him, then at his boyfriend, Cesar, who just shrugged. Mark got up, opening the door of their room. "I need to grab something to eat, babe; I'll be right back!" Mark said, opening the door and walking out of their room. Cesar sat next to his brother, looking at Benjamin; he surely had grown since he last saw him, which was when he was barely a year old. His brother almost looked like their father; unfortunately, he got their father's height, while Cesar certainly got their mother. Benjamin looked at him, grinning. "You know you look like Mom!" Benjamin said, laughing at him. Cesar just looked at him, his ears pinned down in annoyance. "Wh...a...t?" "Yes, you do have a bit of extra weight." As Benjamin pointed at various parts of Cesar’s body, including his chin, face, and stomach, Cesar only reacted with an annoyed expression, which was understandable given that he was somewhat overweight. "And from what I saw, Mom was also kind of chubby. You also have her eyes." Benjamin said, gesturing at his face and one eye that isn't a part of the black void. Cesar punched his arm. "Fu...ck... o...ff..." Cesar said before coughing up some blood. "No, really, look!" Benjamin grabbed his backpack, opened it, and pulled out a photo. He gave it to him; it was a photo of their mother when she was in her thirties, holding him, Maria, while their father was holding Gabriella. He could see to some extent, yet he also recognized the source of Maria's eye features. He smiled at the photo; it was nice to see it again.


"Okay... Benny? Wh...at... is... about... th... em?" Cesar asked. Benjamin sighed, looking nervous. "Gabriella is looking for you and has been since 03." Cesar stared at him, his head tilted in confusion. "She joined the Mandela Police Department; Gabby wants to see you. She is married and pregnant with our nephew and niece, so she thinks that if she joins our hometown's police department, she will find you and bring you home! But Maria refuses to believe you are alive. She doesn't want to see you because of... THAT." Benjamin gestured around where the black void was. Cesar let out a huff, covering it. "But I don't want her to find you; it's not for the best!" Cesar nodded in agreement; it's not for the best for his sisters and him to meet again. "Mama? Papa...? What... ab... out... th... em?" Cesar asked. Benjamin started to dig through his backpack for something. "I was in the old house when I found this..." he said, pulling out an envelope. The moment Cesar laid eyes on the envelope, he immediately noticed his father's distinctive handwriting on the front of the envelope. "I think our father wrote it for you. It's addressed specifically to you. I got it before I heard a voice upstairs and ran outside." Benjamin explained. He looked at the envelope for a long time before opening it. He pulled out the letter and started to read it. After he was done reading it, he held it closely to his chest before feeling the familiar sting of steam coming off his face. "I... nee...d... s...ome... ti...me... alone!"   Cesar mumbled. Benjamin nodded and walked out of the room.


Mark went outside of the warehouse, where he is currently smoking. He couldn't believe Benjamin found them again, and he wasn't sure how he did it, nor did he want to know. Sometimes, he wonders what his life would be like if he didn't agree to run away with Cesar. Would he have married someone else? Or would he have waited for him to come back to Mandela? Maybe he still would have gone with Cesar and become a chain-smoking FBI-level criminal. Who's so wanted by the law that he is a part of the FBI's most wanted? Or would he have refused and begged Cesar to leave and never come back to their hometown? So many possibilities ran through his head, so many outcomes on how his life would have ended up. "Mark!" His sister called out to him, with Jonah following behind her. He turned his head towards his sister. "What's up, Sarah? Is there something wrong?" he asked. "It's about you and Cesar." "What about us?" "Um... will... you see...-" "ARE YOU GAY?" Jonah shouted at the top of his lungs. Sarah elbowed his stomach in response, causing him to let out a yelp. Mark looked at them, weirded out, the cigarette still burning in his mouth between his fingers, causing the smell of tobacco to fill the air. "What?" Mark laughed out; he couldn't believe that they actually asked him that kind of question. He thought it was obvious because he and Cesar did live together even before Sarah found him again. "Wait, you didn't know? I mean, it's obvious. Cesar has never been attracted to women at all, and I'm a totally different story; I will say I'm attracted to both," Mark responded before going back to his cigarette. "Oh, because Cesar's little brother found our location," Jonah chirped. "I could tell; he's looking more and more like Mr. Torres each day," Mark laughed. As Sarah and Jonah looked at him, unimpressed by his laid-back attitude, Mark took the opportunity to quietly shoo them away. "Okay, let me finish my smoke. If you have any more questions, go ask Cesar or Benny," Mark said as Jonah and Sarah went inside the warehouse while Mark finished his smoke.

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Chapter Text

Cesar was currently crying his eyes out, holding the letter closely to his chest. All he felt was the pain from the burning of his tears, from stinging his skin. He looked at the letter. Why didn't his father tell him this before the 1992 attack? Why did his father ignore him leading up to what happened in 1992? If his father didn't hate him, why wouldn't he talk to him? When his father found out about him being gay and in a relationship with another man, he always thought his father hated him for ruining their family's name, business, and reputation around town, especially in the church. He thought his father and mother hated him for that, but as he read it again, again, and again, they didn't hate him; they loved him for being him. They loved him no matter what sexual orientation he had, and they didn't get a chance to tell him that everything was okay and that they cared for him before passing away. He continued to hold the letter and sob. He really, really wanted to hug his mama and papa right now and just cry in their arms. He always wonders what his parents will think of him now that he is working with an organization that investigates the same creatures that killed them years ago.

He heard the door opening behind him. He peeked his head up and saw Mark walking into their room and closing it behind him. Once his boyfriend saw his face, which was now puffy and red, he immediately walked over. "Baby? Are you okay?" Mark asked, sitting down next to him. Cesar looked at him, then at the letter, still sniffling. Mark gently took the letter to look at it; he read it for a while and immediately could tell that it was from Felix and Sally. He had been at Cesar's house many times in the past and could recognize Felix's handwriting instantly. He looked at Cesar, who was crying his eyes out. Mark folded it, placing it on the coffee table. "Don't worry, my love, I'm here!" Mark said, rubbing his back. Cesar started to out-chirp. They were low and de-stressed. He was clawing at his eyes, trying to pull them out. Mark started to brush his hair, trying to comfort his lover. "Don't, don't, don't cry, my love!" he said. He grabbed Cesar's hands, trying to stop him from pulling out his eyes. "Don't do that. Your eyes are beautiful, and crying ruins your pretty face." He said. Cesar pulled him into a tight hug, which caused Mark to let out a surprised squeak. Mark looked at Cesar, who dug his head right into his side. He started to brush his hair again, his hands running through Cesar's hair, which caused him to start purring. Then he felt one of Cesar's horns in the mess of his black hair. Mark bit his lip, feeling it poke into his side; he tried to push his head away due to his horns trying to stop it from digging into him. "Hey Ces... your, umm... horns... they are hurting me!" Mark said. He pushed his head back, hoping to stop his horns from stabbing him. Conversely, Cesar leaned his head into Mark's side, holding him tightly with his arms. Mark released a hiss, sensing that they were leaving behind something that stung.

Cesar was hugging him tightly; he felt him running his hand through his hair, causing him to start digging his head (more specifically, his horns) into his side. Mark immediately registered what Cesar was trying to do. He started trying to move his head, probably trying to stop his horns from digging into his flesh. Cesar didn't know what came over him, but he was determined to protect his lover from him. He knew he was after him, and he didn't want to lose him; he couldn't lose him; he loved him too much. He looked at Mark, who was still trying to remove his horn from his side, probably not liking the feeling of Cesar's horns getting inside of him. But Cesar decided to claim him properly before someone else did. Mark finally moved his head, preventing himself from getting stabbed. Cesar looked at him, deciding to wait until Mark fell asleep, and then he'd make sure no one would hurt him ever again.

Adam was sleeping when he sensed someone else was in his room, where he was holding his girlfriend. He opened his eyes and saw the hooded man at the foot of his bed. He sat up immediately and started to shield Evelyn with his body. "What the fuck do YOU want!" he shouted. The man turned to him, grinning. "Oh, don't worry about your mate; I won't hurt her," he said, looking at Evelyn. Adam growled at the man, refusing to allow him to harm Evelyn. He was feeling increasingly uncomfortable with this guy who seemed to shadow him everywhere—first in kindergarten, then during his senior year, next at the house he explored with Jonah, and now at BPS headquarters with his girlfriend. He was about to grab the metal baseball bat underneath his bed, and then he felt something dark deep inside of him trying to boil to the surface; it felt gross and sick. "What do you want?" he asked. The man just laughed at him, looking him dead in the eyes. Only cold blue voids looked back at him, which freaked him out and caused him to squeeze his girlfriend tightly. "What the fuck do YOU want?" he spat out again. The man looked at Evelyn, still smiling at Adam, before placing a hand on his head. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and lightheaded, and black spots appeared in his vision. Something started boiling to the surface that was trying to control him. The hooded man grabbed his face, forcing Adam to look at him. The man's eyes started to swirl; they looked almost alien, almost angelic. He began to feel sick as something finally broke through the surface. The last thing he saw was those eyes. He slumped forward, closing his eyes. "Don't worry, my son, I'm here," the man whispered to him as he passed out.

When he opened his eyes, he was looking around to see where he was, but he was right here in BPS headquarters in his room right here with Evelyn. He immediately got up and started to look everywhere for the hooded man: he looked inside the closet, at the window, underneath the bed, and in the bathroom, but he was nowhere to be found. As if he vanished into thin air, as if he never existed but only to him. He walked back toward the bed, where his girlfriend was now at. He looked down at Evelyn, who was still sleeping. Her brown hair was pushed against her face as she peacefully slept. He smiled softly at her, knowing he could have lost her any day now; someone could have taken her away from him. But now, he'll never let her go, not anymore. He'll make sure that no one will ever lay a finger on her again, ever again. If they did, he would make sure they'll pay.

Jonah was walking down the hallway towards the dining area. When he was passing by his room, he heard someone entering from a window and knocking something over. He stopped walking, his heart in his throat. He quickly grabbed a bat and immediately swung open the door, switching on the light. He saw the same alternate from the house, the faceless one, Rebekah. He lowered the bat. "Reb?" he whispered. She looked up and tilted her head; the area where her mouth was supposed to be stretched as if she was grinning. "Oh hey! So this is BPS! Fancy meeting you here, Jonah," she said, waving at him. She immediately got up and stretched her back and arms. He cringed at the sounds of her bones breaking and moving around underneath her skin. She walked towards him, seemingly extremely excited to see him again. "Why are you here?" he asked. "Oh! I just want to talk to you again. It's a real shame we couldn't talk more when you were in my territory; I would have liked to get to know you better," she responded. Jonah lowered his guard, deciding it's best to trust her. He set the bat down, deciding to at least allow her to talk. "Why are you here? And please tell the truth," he said. Rebekah let out a small giggle, settling down on a chair and resting her feet on a table. "Look! Mr. Marshall! I'm here to warn you!" She explained. "Why do you need to warn me?" "Someone is after you!" she replied. "Who? Who is after me?" "Not just you, my friend! Adam, Evelyn, Sarah, Mark, and Cesar! He is after all of you!" Rebekah added. "Who...?" "His name is Lucas Jayson. The MPD turned the case over to the FBI. No more Thatcher or Ruth!" Rebekah explained. Jonah's face went white; he realized at that moment he and BPS were no longer dealing with the Mandela Police Department; it was the FBI, and the United States government had now added them to their shitlist. "How can I know if I should even trust you, Reb?" he asked. She tilted her head sideways, "I mean you an alternate! Like, how should I..." The alternate let out a small giggle, and then, from the middle of her face, it slipped wide open much like a Venus flytrap, revealing sharp, pointy teeth. "Guess you'll have to wait and see, Jon, but from now on, consider me your guardian angel."

To be continued....

Chapter Text

As the months went by, the group of ghost hunters, aka BPS, visited many houses throughout the east coast. Sure, they are on the FBI's most wanted list and are most likely to not have a normal life like before, but they aren't behind bars, and that's what matters. But things changed; Cesar and Mark are more comfortable finally displaying affection, such as holding hands and flirting in front of the other BPS members after two years of being in the closet due to Mark's fear of losing Sarah again once again. They were surprisingly a lot more accepting than their small religious town. "So, Mark? Cesar? when did you two start dating?" Evelyn asked the two men when they were driving home after an investigation. "Back when we were both in high school, in 1991!" Mark said, as Cesar purred against his chest. "Really?" Jonah chimed in from the front seat of the van. "So about..." Jonah proceeded to count under his breath, using his fingers to keep count. "So, almost 18 years?" Mark and Cesar nodded their heads in response. "Damn! That's longer than my aunt's 6 marriages combined." Jonah joked as Sarah let out a small laugh. Adam grinned widely, looking at them. "18 years and still no ring?" Adam joked. Cesar simply flipped him off while Evelyn smacked his arm for being rude. "Adam! Don't say that!" she said, punching his arm. "We can't get married dumbass; gay marriage isn't even legalized here," Mark said. Adam's eyes went wide, just realizing that small issue, and he looked away while Evelyn scolded him for being insensitive.


Mark and Cesar finally met Noah Arkinstall, the rich donor of BPS and the son of the richest man in America. He suddenly appeared one day out of nowhere while the group was eating takeout for dinner. He was a tall Asian man with slick brown hair and gray eyes who walked with a cane, aiding him as he entered the abandoned warehouse, carrying two bags. "Hello there! Good morning, BPS!" All six of them turned to see the Asian man as he walked towards them and took a seat next to Sarah and Adam, while Jonah, Cesar, Mark, Evelyn, and Benny looked at the guy who walked in acting like he owned the place, then at Adam and Sarah. Noah immediately grabbed the takeout, which was their dinner. Mark raised an eyebrow, looking at his sister and then at Noah, who was now eating the food they had bought with the money from the investigations. "Ummm... who are you?" Mark asked. But Noah didn't answer; he just kept eating and serving himself. Sarah coughed awkwardly, looking at Adam and Jonah, wondering why Noah had now appeared after 2 years of not bothering to even appear at the warehouse. She also realized that he had brought two bags with him. "Ummm... Noah? Why are you here?" Sarah asked, finally breaking the awkward silence. Noah took a few more minutes to answer, only focusing on chewing his food. After he was done eating, he looked at the group and grinned. "A celebration!" Noah said. He dug around in the bag that he brought with him and pulled out expensive wineglasses, settling them in front of each person before pouring them all an expensive brand of wine, Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, an expensive brand made in California, and judging by the smell of the wine, it was freshly made too. They looked at the wine, then at Noah, who just grinned at them and took a sip of his drink.


"Sarah, who is this?" Mark asked. Sarah looked at her brother, then at Noah, who apparently showed his face for once. An awkward silence came up again; she sighed, knowing Mark probably wouldn't take this well. He'd probably get upset, and rightfully so. "This... is... ummm... Noah Arkinstall!" Sarah said, gesturing towards Noah, who was still eating their food right in front of the group. He had a napkin that he had brought with him; he wiped his mouth with it and placed it on the table right in front of Adam. "So, after Adam and I founded the Bythorne Paranormal Society, we needed a wealthy donor to fund us. And Noah here helped us!" Sarah said. Mark looked at his sister, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Why is he here, then?" Mark asked. "He technically owns this warehouse. He allowed us to borrow it, so, surprisingly, this is the first time he's bothered to show up in the warehouse in 2 years," she said. Noah reached his hand toward Mark and Cesar in a rather cold way. "It's an honor to finally meet you and Cesar," Noah said. Mark shook it, surprised by how strong his grip was, despite him being shorter than the rest of the group. "In person... at least." Mark and Cesar stopped shaking his hand; they immediately pulled away, and his statement immediately crept the couple out. "Oh, during the founding of BPS, I asked Noah to track you two down, and, um... he, um, stalked you for... several months..." Sarah said. Mark looked at Noah, who just grinned at the couple; the man had no shame about committing a crime. "Yo...u... wh...at?" Cesar asked. Noah's grin just got wider at the couple's discomfort; he was clearly proud of himself for outsmarting an alternate.


Noah turned out to be a cool dude to hang out with, despite being a trust fund baby with a bank account in the trillions of thousands, and will stalking and following Mark and Cesar for what was apparently seven months, learning about their daily lives prior to BPS and Sarah finding them. He would talk and play Mario Kart with the group and drink beer, especially the expensive red wine that Noah bought, freshly made from the mountains of California. He even made them breakfast and dinner as a thank you for not treating him like a spoiled rich kid. Then, after staying at the warehouse for a month, he left again, since his father needed him in New York for their business.


And so the group lived as normally as ghost hunters can live when investigating alternates. They did what young adults do in their 20s; they ate junk food that they stole from the local stores, smoked weed, and played Mario Kart between investigations and hunts. But deep down, they wondered what their lives would be like if the Alternates' invasion had never happened. Where would they end up? Would they have normal jobs, like working in the department, or would they still be on the run from the law, avoiding getting caught and constantly looking over their shoulders just to make sure that they were safe from the government, police, and the FBI?


"Hey, Sarah? Where are we going again?" Jonah asks from the backseat of the BPS van. "It's out of Bythorne! Like near the Chicago area! It's for a wealthy family." Mark looks from where he was sitting with his boyfriend. "Out of state? That's new, even for you guys," he says. "Yeah, but it's paying pretty well!" she says, rubbing her fingers and grinning. "Oh! How much?" Evelyn asks. "$3,000 per night." Adam whistles, grinning. "Shit, I might as well plan. We'll be living like royalty for days," Adam says, laughing and pulling Evelyn closer as she snuggles up next to her boyfriend, smiling softly. The group stops by a gas station, deciding to buy snacks, drinks, and more hoodies and pay for gas. Unbeknownst to anyone, Evelyn sneaks into the bathroom. She washes her hands, and her heart pounds loudly in her chest as she waits for the test results. After waiting for a few minutes, she looks at the tests, and her eyes widen. "Fuck!" she yelled before quickly grabbing the box and hiding the test in her hoodie. When she walked out of the bathroom and toward the van, her suspicion was confirmed. She was panicking, not sure what to do; now she needed to tell Adam more than ever.

3 hours later.

"We're here," Sarah said, parking the van near the old abandoned house. The group got out of the van and walked toward the house, carrying their gear. As soon as Mark looked at the house, then at his boyfriend, he felt something was off; someone was in this house. Then, a woman without a face and two horns appeared from the doorway. Mark immediately recognized her—the woman he had seen in Bythorne, that one house in the city's heart where he and Cesar used to live over ten years ago. He looked at Jonah. His jaw dropped as he looked at his friends, then at the Alternate. And Mark knew Jonah knew this woman. Jonah asked, "Rebekah? What are you doing here?" The woman's cheeks lifted, as if she were smiling. "Oh, BPS, maybe it was best to listen to the cop, and I wouldn't have had to lure you out here," she said, her face splitting open.


The end....


To be continued....