[Despayre]

 ... Continued from Gabriel's RP

_________________________________________

"You finally told him?" Gabriel asked as he casually lent a helping hand, picking up a fractured piece of glass from the coffee table and deposited in the waste basket Odette had ran out to the garage to get.

"Yes." Synn nodded. "He was growing restless for answers as to where she was and why she was not answering her phone or texts. I couldn't hide it from him any longer, so I sat him down and told him."

"And he didn't tale it well." Odette observed, holding the trash bag open wide for Theresa to drop a waste pan's contents into.

"Obviously." Synn sighed. He looked around and shook his head, hands resting on his waistline. "It is going to cost a fortune to replace the things he destroyed." His arms then sagged down and he turned to face them. "I should have found a better way to break the news to him. Somewhere that he might not have caused such damage."

Synn caught the annoyed look in Odette's eyes and he held a hand up, "Not that the money is what is important, I assure you. Joshua's response just couldn't be predicted. Hence why I tried hiding the situation from him."

"It could have been worse." Gabriel offered as he dropped the last of the television's remains into a box to be discarded. "There could have been people around."

"Would it have been that bad?" Odette asked.

"It could have been." Synn answered. "When Joshua's emotions are in such a high state of flux, there would be no telling how he would respond to any given situation." Synn's emerald eyes met Odette's and he nodded, his voice saying enough without further explanation. "It could have been much worse."

Gabriel ran his fingers back through his hair and blew a hard breath out. he said, "So I guess this wouldn't be the best time to go check on him."

"Perhaps not." Synn agreed.

"I think we should." Odette said, and everyone's eyes turned toward her. She looked around to each of them and offered, "Hysterics or not, this is Despy that we're talking about, and Gabriel. If the poor little guy finds out that Gabriel was here and didn't say hello...?"

"Yes." Synn nodded. "I understand, and I agree." Synn looked at Gabriel closely and whispered, "Just be careful. He's been awfully quiet. Not even the television in his room has been on."

"We will be." Gabriel said, and taking Odette's hand in his own, he started to escort her toward the stairs to the house's second floor while Synn picked up the garbage to take it outside.



"I had a friend..."

"Had a friend?"

"Have. I have a friend."

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome! Anyway...."

"I have a friend. Perhaps you know of him? His name is Joshua Young. I mean, I imagine that's his full name. I tried looking up Synn's last name but Synn is his legal name, so we'll just go with his mom's surname. How's that sound?"

"Sounds great! That's what is on my driver's license!"

"You don't have a driver's license."

"I do so! I paid that guy in Oakland, California to make me one!"

"My mistake! Okay, so we're going to try going a different route here, then. **clears throat** My friend's name is Joshua, but most people know him as Despayre, or 'Despy' to those closest to him. Perhaps you know him? Funny looking little guy with gray eyes and uncombed hair?"

"Hey! I thought that this was supposed to make me feel better!"

"Well if you'd stop interrupting me, then we'd get to the parts that make you feel better and we could move on to story time. We want everyone in the NWA to know you, don't we?"

"Do we?"

"Well, it would help them react accordingly if they knew more about you. I mean, you do have a handful of funny habits."

"This coming from the guy who had to watch the movie 'Aliens' from underneath our sofa!"

"Hey, I thought I owed one of those guys money. Cut me some slack, huh? Now, might I get on with this?"

"**huffs** Fine!"

"Thank you! Now, where was I? Oh, yeah! Joshua is my best friend. Well, I guess that's not entirely accurate."

"It's not?"

"No, it's not. You see, Joshua is more than a friend or a 'best friend' or 'BFF' or 'bestie' or whatever the kids are calling it these days. I'm sure many of you understand. Most of us has at least one person in our lives where there is that one person who is more than family, more than a friend. It's like they are a very piece of who we are and that's why we love them so much. That is what Joshua, or 'Despy', means to me."

"Stoooop! You're embarrassing me!"

"It's true! You see, it was Joshua here who first helped me come into being and gave me a home and goodies and hugs whenever I wanted them. And all I had to do was my solemn duty to guard his sleepy time from being intruded on by bogey men and the various monsters and fiends."

"And you do all of that very well!"

"Thank you! It's the least I can do for all that you've given me. Oh I still remember laying there in that little bin, surrounded by all those others and in came Joshua, along with Synn and Gabriel. They had decided to get a guardian for the home..."

"And a bestest friend for me."

"Right! And truth be told, a friend was a perk for me, too. Joshua and I connected and we picked one another out to share our lives with as best friends. He and the others took me home and we've been inseparable ever since."

"Oh that's a beautiful story."

"Oh I'm only half done."

"Oy vey..."

"After that, I decided to do a little bit of investigating. How else was I going to protect my new bestie and his family and friends unless I knew as much as possible about them? So I delved into Joshua's past a bit and found out he's had a pretty rough go of it."

"I have?"

"This is the part where you're supposed to tune out."

"Now how am I supposed to tune out you telling everyone a story about my life?"

"You could pretend that I'm telling a story about Rage's social life. That always makes me zone out."

"Well, I don't know if it'll work but I can try."

"Atta boy! Now, where was I again? Oh, yes. Joshua, or Despayre, I discovered had a bit of a rough time growing up. He was in a car accident that hurt him pretty badly and caused a bit of an arterial flow problem above the neck. He was in and out of hospitals for a good, long while until the man we know as Synn came to his rescue and gave him a good home and introduced him to new friends. People had wondered just why Synn arrived to help young Joshua from a very bad place called Broodmoore, but I knew. I was just sworn to secrecy."

"You see, Synn was Despayre's daddy, only up until a few years ago, nobody knew it. Synn had found out from Despayre's mom and grandma, and that's when he came to get his baby boy out of that nasty mental research hospital. Bad place. Just terrible. Joshua doesn't like to talk about his time there, so I don't press him on the details. Suffice to say, they were very mean to him. So Synn valiantly rescued him and to make a long story short..."

"Too late."

"I thought you were zoning out, thinking about Rage's social life?"

"I did. It didn't take long."

"Hm, good point. I should have had you turn on Looney Tunes instead."

"I still could. Are you almost finished telling these people stories about me?"

"Almost. And if they missed anything, they can always come back later and proof read it."

"Read?"

"It's a little something called 'breaking the fourth wall'. Quite fun to do, actually. Really makes you think! Anyway, Joshua, how about I give you a little food for thought while I finish up here?"

"Okay, shoot!"

"Bugs Bunny. Gay or straight?"

"Que?"

"Well, look at how often he dressed up as a girl or kissed men like Elmer Fudd. Really makes you think!"

"Heyyyyy....!"

"Okay that should buy us a fair few minutes."

"So, I don't want to stretch this little bit of history out any further than need be. I just want everyone out there in NWA Land to have a better understanding of my best buddy and where he comes from. Why he is, the way he is. So, to make a long story short, everyone found out, quite by accident, that Synn is Joshua's daddy. It kind of happened when Synn was arguing with Despayre's mom and blurted it out, without realizing the rest of us had walked in and heard everything. Oh, I felt so bad for Joshua, but the truth was out and in my opinion, that was a good thing. I think deep down, Joshua knew the truth. Despite his little hang ups, he can be a pretty sharp kid. He is very observant, and I might have dropped a hint here and there. My bad."

"Anyway, it all turned out for the best. Joshua now knows he has a dad, and not the mean one that abandoned him like his grandpa always used to tell lies about. His grandpa actually hated Synn, so he tried to fill his head full of lies. I guess he believed them, because hey, who doesn't think their grandpa's word of as Gospel? Me? I didn't know the man, and it's a good thing too. I would have loved to given him such a nip, but he had to go and take a dirt nap before I ever had the chance."

"Even better, Joshua's family life is slowly on the mend. His mom is back in his life. She comes down from Canada to visit every so often. I think Joshua hopes there'll be a real reconciliation between mom and dad, but that's a bit much to hope for. Synn and Margaret had a thing, but it's in the past and I hope he understands that. For now, Synn has welcomes her back into their son's life, and that's what is important. Don't you agree?"

"Oh,, but then we have the subject of Joshua's other friends! I think we all know all about Gabriel! He is just about the greatest thing to have ever happened to Joshua, save for perhaps his mom and dad. You just couldn't ask for a better friend than Gabriel, I'll tell you that! And that friendship has pretty much evolved into something a lot more like a relationship between two brothers. Gabriel likes to tell everyone that Joshua is like a little brother, and I can tell you from personal experience that Joshua worships the ground Gabriel walks on! Just like a little brother would, for an older sibling."

"That is why they make such a formidable combination inside of the ring as the tag team Sinful Obsession. It's why they have such a stellar record and why they have held championship gold wherever they've traveled together. They have a bond inside of the ring. They know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and when the other needs help the most. Can anyone else in Sin City Wrestling or the NWA say that? I think not."

"But there are his other friends in the Sins. Friends like Fantasia and Shane Boswell (that's 'Sxxxy' Shane to you!) and yes, Rage as well. Joshua doesn't make friends too easily. he's not what you would refer to as, a people person. He dislikes crowds and avoids fan meets and autograph signings unless Gabriel or I can persuade him to attend one every now and then."

"It's those select few other friends which is why I am here today, trying to explain things. You see, when Gabriel started dating Bombshell Supreme, Odette Ryder, you might say Despayre kind of came along for the ride. He wanted to make sure Miss Ryder was 'good enough' for his big brother and I am guessing she got his stamp of approval. Plus she passed the urine test. yet while Despayre came along as part of the package on Gabriel's side, someone else came along for the ride on Odette's part: miss Melody Grace."

"I think we all know just how Melody feels about Joshua, or what her intentions might be, but if you know Joshua as well as the rest of us do, that's where things would become quite complicated. At first, Joshua didn't know what to think of her. Then, she started to become what you might think of as a 'kindred spirit' because 9and don't you say I said this), she is something of a dingbat. In a good way, of course! After all, what good is the average television sitcom without the token dingbat character? They make the show, for crying out loud!"

"So enter Melody Grace into the picture, and we were all happy to see that a little friendship formed between Joshua and the young lady. Well, everyone but perhaps Synn. It's a daddy's prerogative to be protective like that, I imagine. Melody became something akin to a 'partner in crime' with Joshua and myself, and she'd often help us with our little ... adventures."

"Of course, that all came to a screeching halt just before Christmas when she was kidnapped by the man servants of that meanie SCW Bombshell, Misty! We all tried to withhold the truth from Joshua, for fear of how he might react. We kept him distracted as best we knew how, but he wouldn't be denied for long. He wanted to know where she was and why she wasn't attending our little Christmas bash. So, Synn told him the truth."

"He didn't take it well."



Previously...

"Joshua"

Synn sighed as he stood up from where he was sitting in his office. He had been putting this unpleasant of tasks off for as long as possible, but there was simply no way that he could do so for any longer period of time. Despayre had been adamant about getting in touch with Melody for the past several days to see if she would be attending their Yuletide party for the holiday season. As of yet, Melody had not returned any of his messages, and with good reason; she was currently the unwilling 'guest' of Misty's, thanks in part to the four men who worshipped her as the proverbial goth goddess.

Miss Grace had been missing ever since the holiday edition of SCW's Climax Control on December 23. They had no idea where she had been taken, nor where she was currently being held. Synn had contacts. He utilized each one as best he could, but each attempt had been thwarted. Not surprising. She could be anywhere in the country. Truth be told, it was entirely possible that she could be anywhere in the world. It was a case of finding the proverbial needle in the haystack and they were each falling short.

For now, all they could do was wait. They had notified the proper authorities. Synn would continue his own searches, but there was little else that could be done save for waiting for New Year Rising to come about. It was painfully clear Melody would be brought there to attendance, and she was to be used as a tool in Misty's psychological warfare.

All of this had been hidden from Despayre for as long as they could, but it could go no further. Taking his mental deficiencies into account, Despayre was neither ignorant nor stupid. He was no longer entirely buying the explanations being fed to him as to where his little 'partner in crime' was. He had started to ask surprisingly probing questions and when deterred, he was being even more difficult to distract.

That was when Despayre had started to whisper about Angel finding him answers, and Synn decided his son deserved to know the truth, even though there was relatively little that he could do to help resolve this dilemma. More importantly, Melody deserved for her friend to know.

Synn had instructed all of the members of his stable to take some time away from the house, because he was not certain how the enigmatic mind of Despayre's would process these truths. The only one who remained was their housekeeper, Theresa, who was still recovering from a bout with the flu so he could not, in good conscience, eject her from the house. He just asked that she remain out of dodge until the coming storm would blow over.

Synn stepped out of his office and walked down the hallway of the home he shared with Despayre in Las Vegas. He had a feeling where his boy was, and what he might be doing.

"Joshua?" He called out again and as he approached the foyer of the estate and came toward the spacious living room, he was rewarded with...

"Yesssss?" By his son who was curled up on the sofa against the living room's far wall, between a large tropical plant that almost reached the ceiling, and a book case filled with a multitude of volumes on topics from politics to 'Lord of the Rings' and so much more in between.

The large plasma television on the wall was turned on and the eighties cartoon series 'He-Man and the Masters of the Universe' was playing, but the young man paid it little attention. With his teddy bear Angel cuddled against his side, he was frowning as he had his cell in his hand and was attempting to send yet another text message with a margin of difficulty.

Technology was not Despayre's cup of tea.

Synn paused seeing this, and asked, "Sending Melody another text?"

"Mm hm." Despayre murmured, nodding absently, never taking his eyes off of the gadget in his hands.

Synn walked over toward the coffee table and picked up the remote to the TV and with a flick of a button, switched it off.

"Heyyy!" Despayre protested. "Me and Angel were watching that!"

Synn kept the remote in his hand and turned back to the large chair beside the couch and had a seat himself. he said, "No, Joshua. You were sending a text, and Angel was helping. Nobody was watching that."

"Curses." Despayre responded with, chewing his bottom lip.

"Besides," Synn continued. "I needed to have a talk with you, and I need you to be brave for what I'm about to say."

"Uh oh."

"Uh oh?"

Despayre nodded. "Yeah, uh oh. Anytime someone says they need you to be brave, it's never a good thing. What happened? Did Angel leave another puddle on the hall carpet?"

"No." Synn shook his head, unable to hide the brief smile he felt creep it's way on his lips at the way his son's mind tended to work. He then played along. "Not since you stopped giving him liquids after eight."

Despayre looked down at the teddy bear and gave it a slight nudge with the point of his elbow. he said, "You hear that? I told you it'd be best for you." He looked back up at Synn and nodded, "Now he won't have to take potty breaks from doing his duties at night."

"Joshua..." Synn said, choosing this one time to forgo his son's childlike antis, and said, "I need to talk to you about Melody and what happened to her."

Huh?" Despayre looked up from the cell in his hands and he frowned. "Something happened to Mel?"

Synn leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs and he paused before asking, "Do you recall when at the last show, when all those police were there, and Odette was very upset?"

"Yes..." Despayre answered with a frown, now not taking his eyes off of the man in front of him. Synn finally had his undivided attention.

Synn asked, "And you know how we wouldn't let you watch the broadcast of the event?"

Despayre nodded, not saying a word. The others had persuaded him not to watch it. They said it was 'uneventful' and 'dreadful', so he took them at their word and didn't. Yet now given the circumstances, he was not liking the way this 'talk' was tending to go.

Synn rubbed his chin with his right hand and exhaled sharply before he said, "There was a reason. You see, Odette has been having some problems with Misty, as I'm certain you are aware of."

Despayre paused and thought for a brief moment before he yielded and nodded.

Synn carried on, "Well, during the show when we were backstage, it would seem ... that the four men that travel with Misty ... took Melody."

"Where'd they take her?" Despayre asked, not yet grasping exactly what Synn had just told him.

"I don't know." Synn said, shaking his head in the negative. "Neither does Odette or Gabriel, nobody."

"Wait..." Despayre narrowed his eyes and looked down at the teddy bear beside him, as if the diminutive plush bear was explaining to him what Synn could not get through to him. Despayre's facial expression hardened and his already fair skin tone paled even further when he looked back up at the man opposite him.

He stammered, "Y-you mean ... they kidnapped her?"

Synn did not answer straight away. He knew the answer to this sensitive question would be delicate, and there was no telling just exactly how Despayre would react. But the probing gaze of the boy's fair, gray eyes was disconcerting and Synn finally nodded.

"Yes, Joshua." He answered. "They did."

From upstairs, Theresa had been lounging in the chair beside her bed, reading in the soft glow of the sun shining through the cream colored drapes in her room. She had a paper back romance novel in her hands, and was focusing on the pages. Synn had offered to buy her one of those e-readers, a Nook or kindle or whatever they were called. She had turned him down, albeit being appreciative of the offer. She explained kindly to the man that she simply preferred the feel of a real book with real pages in her hands.

She flipped the page and started to continue with her reading when a loud explosion emanating from downstairs disrupted her focus. She shot a startled look up and practically threw the book to her bed as she raced up from her chair and headed for the stairs!

"No!" Despayre wailed as he stood, frozen, his hands gripping the broken remnants of the coffee table that he had just over turned and swung into the lamp on the stand to his left.

"Joshua!" Synn barked in a commanding tone. "Calm down! Now!"

He knew the chances of that happening now were practically non existent. Now that the flood gates had been opened, there was little more that he could do to stem the raging waters of one of Despayre's unpredictable emotional outbursts. Synn started to take a step toward him when Despayre let out a wail, the tears cascading down his pale cheeks, and he swung the coffee table in the air and just let it go! Synn had to duck to avoid taking the brunt of the actions and the table struck the plasma television and shattered it instantly, knocking it completely off of it's perch against the wall! Both the television, as well as the table's remains, crashed to the floor in a pile of sparks and splinters!

"Joshua" Synn shouted again but Despayre was lurched over at the waist, his breath growing faster in rate.

Melody Grace was one of the very few people who Despayre had lowered the walls he shielded himself with for. Everybody knew she had a crush on his son -- everybody but his son, that is. Despayre, however, saw her as a buddy and that was reason enough to be scared for her well being and angry at her being mistreated, so.

Synn stepped over the tattered remains of the decor and grabbed Despayre by the arms and the little guy immediately started to struggle against him.

"No!" Despayre cried. "Noo! Why would they do that!? Why aren't we out looking for her!? We have to save her!"

But as quickly as his raging outburst had started, it morphed into an emotionally unstable on and the tears erupted and Despayre fell down against Synn's broad chest and he was immediately enveloped by his father's embrace. It was true that Despayre could not react emotionally to the advances of a female admirer, but he could feel strongly enough to respond to a friend being hurt. Melody Grace was indeed a friend to them all, and Despayre's reaction was nothing less than what any could expect.

Synn closed his eyes, thankful that this did not grow worse than it already had. He would have to keep a close watch on Despayre now, until January 13 came around. There was no telling now what the boy would be capable of if he decided they were not doing enough to find Melody.

"What...? What happened!?" The accented shriek startled Despayre and he spun around, facing down the Hispanic housekeeper who was standing in the frame of their home's front room.

Her eyes were wide as she surveyed the destroyed mess of some of the furnishings and Synn could hear the whimper escape from his boy's throat. Despayre had the tendencies to react like a child, and some have even compared him to a wild animal. He could be very dangerous, but the ironic thing was that this short, plump housekeeper was one of the select few that intimidated Despayre.

Despayre tried to move behind his father and use him as a shield between himself and Theresa, but Synn wrapped an arm around his small shoulders, preventing him from doing so.

Synn said, "Go upstairs, Joshua, while this mess gets cleaned up."

Despayre's eyes locked with Theresa's and he started to shake. He whispered, "I-I'll help."

"No." Synn said. "Go upstairs. Take Angel with you. Watch your He-Man or something else. I need you to calm down."

"But Mel..." Despayre whined, turning from the housekeeper's burning gaze to his dad's own.

"Do you trust me, Joshua?" Synn asked of him.

Despayre answered not in words, but with a simple nod that spoke volumes.

"Then go upstairs." Synn responded. "Everything will be alright."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Despayre turned and the moment he looked at Theresa who had turned her back and was walking to the broom closet just in the foyer of the house. He quickly scooted around the mess and scooped Angel up into his arms and he rushed past the returning Theresa who was carrying a broom and ran upstairs.



"Are you feeling any better?"

"A little, but I'm still scared for Melody. I want her to come back. She's my friend."

"Oh she will. Trust me. Synn and Gabriel and Odette will make sure of that."

"And us?"

"Oh we'll do our part, believe me. I have a plan, but we'll discuss that tonight after supper. For now, I just want to make sure that you're ready for this Sunday."

"Why? What's so important about Sunday?"

"Don't you remember? You're teaming up with Gabriel for your first NWA sanctioned match."

"I team with Gabriel all the time. Why should this match be any different?"

"Because there's a lot on the line in this match. There's a lot for you and Gabriel to prove to the entire NWA."

"Oh why do we have to prove anything? I mean, we held the SCW tag team titles for how long? Synn said eight months! Best reign ever in SCW!"

"Not if you listen to Nick Jones."

"Well, nobody does listen to him so I stand by what I said."

"Point made."

"Thank you. And you know something? I still say Gabriel and I are the champions! I mean, we weren't beaten for the titles. The Young Lions lost that match! That is so not fair!"

"Was it fair when you won the titles in the same way?"

"Of course it was!"

"How so?"

"Because it was Gabriel and me, duh!"

"I guess I can't argue with that logic, but you have to listen to me buddy! This match has the possibility of catapulting you and Gabriel to a bigger chance than even the SCW tag titles."

"Now what could be more important than holding the SCW titles with my best friend?"

"How about holding the NWA World Tag Team Championship with your best friend?"

"Okay... listening..."

"Okay! This Sunday you and Gabriel are going up against a team from another NWA promotion, called EWA."

"Now is that the promotion or the name of the team we're wrestling?"

"That's the tag team. The promotion is called the Puerto Rico Association. The guys in EWA that you're wrestling are Koko Becerril and Rey Rosario."

"Are they any good?"

"Of course they are! They're the top team in their promotion, and one of the two top teams in the entire NWA!"

"Really? Cool! Who's the other top team?"

"*sighs* That would be you and Gabriel."

"Oh. Natch. Then there won't be any problem!"

"That's what I like to hear! Enthusiasm! But you have to remember: it's good to be confident, but don't be over confident. Koko and Rey wouldn't be where they are in the standings if they weren't a great team."

"Oh I get that, but Gabriel and I are the best! We're going to win!"

"And when you do, there'll be big things on the horizon for you two."

"Like a title match?"

"Exactly! When you two beat EWA, that's going to guarantee Sinful Obsession a shot at the NWA championship! How cool is that?"

"Very cool! But there's one thing I don't quite understand."

"What's that?"

"When we win, we're the number one challengers and get the title shot, right?"

"Right."

"Then how come we're not getting it anyway? I had a look at the NWA rankings and they just made me and Gabriel the number one team."

"Hm, that's a very good point. We'll have to ask Synn. But in the meantime, this win will cement your standing in the tag team rankings and nobody would dispute you getting a chance at the titles. Maybe even on an NWA pay-per-view!"

"That would be swell!"

"But you have to beat EWA, remember!"

"I remember! I'll ask Synn if he can get you and me some videos of Koko and Rey's matches together so we can come up with a game plan! Then we can surprise Gabriel with a winning strategy and we'll be one step closer to the NWA titles!"

"Smart boy!"

"*snickers* Koko and Rey..."

"What's so funny?"

"It just sounds like a generation gap in WWE's past and present."

"Ha! I never thought of that! I..."

There was a knock at the bedroom door and from behind it, out in the hallway, the voice called out, "Despy? Are you okay?"

Despayre's eyes lit up with excitement.

He called out, "Is that you Gabriel?"

"Yes, it's me." The voice answered. "I have Odette with me. We wanted to check in and see if you were okay."

"I'm fine. So is Angel."

"May we come in?"

"Um... okay."

The door handle turned and with a soft click, the door was pushed open and Gabriel entered first, with Odette a step behind him. The two surveyed the scene before them. The bed was unmade, books littered the floor and DVDs were strewn about, out of the cases.

They then looked down and saw the curious sight of Despayre kneeling on the floor with a video camera in his hands, and Angel seated in a toy wrestling ring.

"Despy," Odette started to say. "What exactly are you doing?"

Despayre sheepishly answered, "Shooting my promo with Angel for our big match." He then looked up in excitement. "And we're going to win!"

"You bet we are." Gabriel nodded. he then looked back at Odette and turned to Despayre who had now sat the camera on the floor and was repositioning the gold belt around Angel the teddy bear's waist. "Odette and I have dinner reservations. We just wanted to stop by and say hi."

Despayre looked back at them, smiled and waved enthusiastically. "Hi!"

Neither Gabriel or Odette could contain the smiles. Gabriel made the decision to walk across the room and give his 'little brother' a one arm hug around the shoulders, and by instinct alone, Despayre latched onto his briefly with a tight embrace of his own.

That alone told Gabriel that Despayre would be okay, given time.

He and Odette then backed toward the door and started to make their exit when despayres voice interrupted them:

"Odette?"

She stopped and turned around to glance back into the room. Despayre was not facing her, but fidgeting with the camera.

"Yes, sweety?"

"We'll get her back, Odette."

Odette shared a glance with Gabriel and they both smiled at the boy's confidence and ability to recover.

"I know we will. Bye."

"Bye!"

"Bye, buddy." Gabriel also said and they shut the door behind them.

Out in the hall, Odette looked at her man and asked, "He tore up his room too?"

Gabriel blinked and then shook his head.

"No. It always looks like that."