#//imagine I could've met my dad he'd say the same thing

[moljh]

Unwanted Reunion

Eddie Munson x Reader

Summary: You convince your husband Eddie to attend his 10 year high school reunion and as expected it doesn’t go well.

General fluff, mentions of sex, minor violence

Unedited 

This was your first time in Hawkins, despite your efforts to persuade your husband to bring you back to his hometown, he had always had a strong stance against it. But when the letter arrived in your mailbox notifying you of a 10 year reunion, you had badgered him until he finally agreed.

You had been with Eddie Munson since college. You'd met in a class that he later dropped out of, but continued seeing each other after that. After Eddie dropped out he opened his own mechanic shop, which gradually grew to multiple stores which were all incredibly successful.

Eddie always made little side comments about getting married but he didn't build up to ask you until the day of your graduation. Your family and friends had been there and whilst you were too busy trying to watch where your cap had been thrown to, Eddie had gotten down on one knee.

You'd been married for 5 years now and you loved Eddie more that you could've ever imagined.

The drive to Hawkins was easy, most of the roads were pretty flat in this area, according to Eddie's constant facts. Despite his continued trivial knowledge, you knew something wasn't quite right as he only rambled like this when he was nervous or trying to get something from you.

"What's wrong?" you bluntly questioned him

He kept his eyes on the road and replied dimly "Nothing’s wrong"

"Eddie" you said in your warning tone, causing his eyes to flick over to you "what's the matter? You've been acting strange ever since we left home?"

"It doesn't matter" he assured you "it's stupid"

Despite his clear desire to drop the conversation, you knew he wanted to talk. He wasn't as hard to read as he'd like to think and you especially could read him like an open book.

You softened your gaze and softly said "It's not stupid, c'mon, what's wrong?"

He let out a small sigh "You know how I always say you never would've dated me in high school?"

"Yeah..." you replied, unsure how this related

"Well there's a lot more reasons behind that then you think. I wasn't exactly liked back then"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I went to school in a small town in the 80's, people didn't exactly like different and I was pretty different"

Eddie continued to tell you more about himself, most of which you knew and some you hadn't expected.

"You've seen the pictures, I had tattoos, I listened to metal and played D&D. People thought I worshipped Satan and was evil, I wasn't really liked or even wanted around, they were probably all glad when I left"

"I'm sorry Eddie" you said placing your hand on his knee "If you don't want to go to this thing we don't have to, we can just go and visit Wayne and then drive home tomorrow"

"No," he said "I want to you, I want to go in there and show them all that I didn't end up in jail like my shit dad and I made something of myself"

You squeezed his leg and coughed a little reminding him of you presence.

"And I landed myself a fucking hot ass wife!" he shouted

You laughed at his choice of words.

"Ok, I'm glad" you reassured him

"Yeah, me too" he said

"I'm also glad I brought two different outfit options just in case"

Eddie looked at you sideways, raising a brow "what kind of outfit are we talking about here?"

"Remember your birthday?" you smirked

You could see the wheels turning in his head as he thought back to then "I think you might be arrested if you go naked"

You smacked his leg in response "No you idiot! What I was wearing before that!"

"Ooooh..." he said in realisation "Oh yeah, that'll do it"

It seemed to amaze you that despite distance and state lines, somehow the interior of a public high school always looked the same. The same linoleum flooring and white walls with some sort of colour attempted to be painted onto them.

As you walked inside, you could feel Eddie's grip tighten around your arm. Making your way down the hall, Eddie glanced around at the lockers and pictures along the corridor.

"See that locker?" Eddie whispered to you, pointing out at one

You looked in the direction and assumed it must've been his "That's where I made a pass at Mindy Cornwell and then her boyfriend punched me"

"Eddie!" you looked at him horrified "why would you tell me that?"

“Hey, you're the one that wanted to know my high school experience..." he defended "not my fault it was shit" he muttered

Coming to the end of the hall, you walked up to the table that was set up at the entrance of the sports hall. From where you were you could already see the obscene amount of decorations and lights beyond the doorway.

"Name?" the blonde lady in front of your asked, giving you a smile and looking down at her list

"Edward and Y/n Munson" you said

The expression of shock was evident on her face, she didn't do anything to bother to conceal her expression and even felt so bold to do a double take.

"Is there a problem?" you insisted, feeling rather observed

"No, sorry" she spluttered, searching the table for the name stickers

Picking them up, she handed them over to the two of you and you headed on in.

"Hey relax" you whispered to Eddie, gently giving his forearm a squeeze "we're in, one part down"

"Thank you," he said, pressing a soft kiss to your head "you know your amazing right?"

"Only cause you like to remind me" you laughed "c'mon, let's see if we can find Robin, she told me she was coming tonight"

Making your way around the room, you noted the large 'Class of '86' banner along the wall. You were surprised at how many people were already here, though based on what Eddie had told you, it seemed like most of them hadn't moved away.

Just as you were about to finish your lap of the room, you spotted the person you were looking for.

"Robin!" you exclaimed, pulling away from Eddie and dashing over to your friend.

"Y/n!" she shouted back bringing you into an embrace "how are you?"

"I'm good, how are you?" you asked, then noticed her lack of companion "Where's Sarah?"

"I'm not too bad, unfortunately she got called back into the hospital last minute"

"That's a shame, I was looking forward to seeing her again"

Over the years you had met a few of Eddie's friends at random times, but when they had all come to the wedding you got to see the true chaos of them together. Since then, they had all come and visited you occasionally, and you had visited them as well. So you'd gotten to know them all and become pretty close with Robin.

"Hey Rob" Eddie cut in, re-joining your side "guessing y/n's already beaten me to the small talk and niceties?"

"I'm afraid so Eds" Robin sarcastically remarked, shaking her head slightly "unfortunately once again your gorgeous wife had proven she's far too good for you"

The three of you continued to chat and catch up as the evening progressed. You could tell Eddie was doing his best to avoid heading back into the larger group, but you didn't mind, you were here for him, not for yourself.

"Hey," you interjected "I'm just going to go grab a drink"

"Did you want me to get it?" Eddie offered

"No, that's ok"

"Ok, well can you get me one as well?"

"Sure"

Weaving your way through the crowd made you way over to the table covered in food and drink. As you were getting yourself a wine and Eddie a beer, you overheard something that caught your attention.

"Oh my god did you hear the freak is here tonight?" one voice said

"I can't believe he isn't in jail or dead" another spoke

"I heard he's going bald and is broke and he's back in town to move in with his uncle"

"No, no, apparently he's here with a woman, Michelle said he brought his wife!"

"You're kidding!"

"No way! She must be blind or stupid if she married Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson"

You stood there stunned for a moment as the realisation that these grown women were gossiping about you and Eddie hit. You weren't sure what to do for a second, as you registered their mean words and childish behaviour.

"Sorry can I just get past you?" a voice pulled you away, glancing up you grabbed your drinks as a blonde haired man stepped beside you

"I'm sorry, just lost in thought" you politely smiled

"Don't worry, just getting a top up" he laughed, gesturing to the empty beer bottle in his hand "I don't seem to recognise you, did you go here?"

"No, no" you replied "I went to school in North Carolina, I'm here with my husband, he's the one that went here"

"Oh really, what's his name, I might've known him?" he asked "I'm Jason by the way"

"It's nice to meet you Jason," you replied "his name is Eddie, Eddie Munson..."

Once again that evening, a shocked look fell over another persons face. This man who you'd known for all of five seconds gave you the biggest look of bewilderment and confusion.

"Eddie Munson?" he finally said, questioning you as if you'd said the wrong name "Eddie Munson is your husband?"

"Um yes..." you replied, unsure why he was so confused by your words

"How the hell did he get someone like you?!"

You weren't sure how to answer that, so you just tried to defuse the situation by laughing, though it sounded more nervous that you would've liked.

"Well it was nice meeting you Jason, I better get back" you said, trying to rush away, suddenly very uncomfortable by the change in conversation

You quickly walked back over to where Robin and Eddie were still standing and you quickly rushed to Eddie's side.

"I'm so sorry" you told him, cringing at what had happened

“Why are you sorry?" Eddie questioned, raising a brow

"I may have accidentally just spoken to your least favourite person here..."

"Mrs O'Donnell's still alive?" he said in shock

"No you idiot" you shot back "Jason Carver"

"Oh, that makes much more sense" he paused for a second and then huffed out "why?"

"I didn't mean to, he just started talking to me and by the time I worked out who he was it was too late to just run away"

You couldn't hide away for much longer, as you spotted out of the corner of your eye, a few people looking your way. Gradually as you heard Jason's words get louder, presumably with the help of some more alcohol, more people began to notice you. Usually you wouldn't care about people looking but it was clearly making Eddie uneasy.

Before you knew it, Jason and a few others that looked just like him, appeared before you.

"Jason" Eddie said flatly, trying to not acknowledge him

"How did you do it Munson, actually what did you do?" Jason laughed not wasting any time and clearly a few drinks in "You knock her up and force her to marry you or are you just paying some random hooker by the hour?"

"Fuck you Carver" Eddie replied, clearly angered by his words

"Oh the freaks got a backbone now does he?" Jason said, moving closer towards Eddie "cause last time I remember the only thing you were good at was running" he spat

Eddie didn't give Jason time to react, let alone retaliate. In one strong hit, Eddie swung and Jason was on the floor. Everyone gasped at the sight and you heard Robin shout some sort of profanity.

Your eyes widened at your husbands sudden act of violence but you didn't feel sorry for the excuse of a man on the floor. Somehow amongst all the shit talking, it clearly hadn't been mentioned that Eddie did hard physical labour all day and wasn't just playing board games anymore (though you did still have the box in a cupboard at the house).

"Don't speak like that to my wife again you asshole" Eddie said, grabbing a hold of your arm and marching you out of the gymnasium

He didn't say anything as you two rushed out into the night and towards your car. You still were sure exactly what was happening, it all played out so quickly, you hadn't had time to process.

"Eddie, woah, woah, just stop for a second" you begged

"I'm so sorry y/n" he said, looking back at you with hurt eyes "I never should've come tonight, I knew that it wouldn't have gone well"

"Hey, stop... This isn't your fault" you said, bringing your hands up and gently holding the sides of his face "I'm sorry I forced you to come"

"This isn't your fault either" Eddie was quick to reply, "let's say it was no one's fault and move on?"

"Sounds good to me" you smiled "though I do have to say it was pretty hot you knocking that jackass to the ground"

"Well I'm glad it looked good cause it fucking hurt my hand" Eddie muttered clutching his right hand "but I wanted to seem cool"

You couldn't help but laugh at your hopeless husband. Even in the shittiest situations he managed to be ok and make something funny, which is something you loved about him.

"I am sorry about what he said about you," Eddie said in a more sincere tone "no matter how much they hate me, that was just wrong to say all those awful lies"

Wrapping your arms around his waist, you breathed in his cologne that had been the same since you met.

"How about we go?" you suggested and the two of you got into the car

As you were driving along, the headlights guiding your way on the dark road, a realisation popped into your head.

"You know..." you said, pausing for a moment, trying to think over your words "It wasn't all lies"

"What?" Eddie replied clearly confused "Um... Unless you've changed jobs, last time I checked you weren't a cheap hooker

"No, that's not it" you said

Eddie clearly wasn't listening to you, lost in his own train of thought "I'd hope you'd at least be a high class one, for politicians and stuff, you know, important people" he went on

"Well I'm glad you think I'd made a good hooker" you chuckled

"Only the best for my girl" he smirked at you

Rolling your eyes, you looked down at your feet for a second.

"No Eddie," you softly said "I mean... technically you did knock me up"

Your words just about made him crash the car.

In a flash Eddie had pulled over on the side of the road and flung around to face you in the passenger seat.

"What?" he stared at you blankly "are you serious?"

"Yeah" you smiled nervously

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit" he excitedly shouted

He froze for a second and suddenly looked back at you again.

"How long have you know? How far along are you?" he rambled

"I've known for about two weeks now, and the doctor says I'm only a month along"

Once again Eddie froze and he didn't utter a word for at least a few minutes, which had to be some sort of personal record.

"That fucking dress!" he exclaimed "God it really was a good birthday!"

You couldn't help but burst out into laughter as Eddie put the pieces together. Hopelessly smiling at your husband, he pulled you towards him and held you tightly as the excitement of what was to come became reality.

[alaydabug2]

Tag list: @sparklenarniawizard @imobsessed123 @thoughtlescat @ilikebookssomuch

Broken Heart/Broken Mind

Chapter Forty-seven

(Human AU)

Sophie and Keefe met in the children's hospital when they were little. Because of how long they were confined to the four walls of the hospital, they became very close during their stay.

As the years pass, they wind up being in the same classroom together due to their physical conditions. This makes their bond deepen.

But are they able to handle when life gets tough, throwing problems and complications their way?

Sophie placed her plate down at the dinner table. Grady and Edaline were already sitting down. She pulled her chair out from the table and joined them.

Just as she started on her first few bites of food, her phone started to ring.

"You can awnser it," Grady told her.

She assumed it was going to be a spam number, but to her surprise, it was Keefe.

"Hey," she awnsered. "What'd you need. I was fixing to start eating."

"Oh," he mumbled. "Never mind. It can wait."

"No, no," she told him. Clearly, something was up. "What's wrong. Did you just need to talk or..."

He was quiet for a moment. "Can I come over for the night. My mom is really drunk and has a bunch of her friends over. When my dad gets home, he's going to be ticked. I already know one of them's gonna drag me into their issues and... I just can't deal with that tonight."

Sophie paused, glancing up at her parents to see if they caught any of that. They must've because they were nodding their heads. Edaline mouthed, 'Of course.'

She focused back on the phone call. "Yeah. Grab what you'll need for tonight and head over. Ok?"

"Thank you," he whispered.

"No problem. I'll see you in a bit." With that, she hung up.

Fifteen minutes later, a knock on the door. It was a tad longer from what she was expecting.

"Come in," Grady called out.

Keefe walked through the door. He was in gray sweatpants and a loose white T-shirt. Probably something that'd he'd be comfortable to sleep in. In his hands was his sketchbook and Mrs. Stinkbottom.

"Hey," Sophie said to him.

He just waved and stood awkwardly in the mudroom until Edaline asked, "Have you eaten yet?" She was met with a headshake. "Go fix yourself a plate then, sweetie."

He did and came to take a seat next to Sophie. Now that he was closer, she could tell he smelled slightly of alcohol and cigarette smoke. Not strong enough that it was him himself doing those things. But enough to that there was definitely a lot in his vicinity.

She decided not to ask. Instead, she changed her question to, "Did you make it out alright?"

Keefe shrugged, taking a hesitant bite of food. He swallowed. "My dad came home as I was trying to leave. As soon as I opened the door, there he was. So what he got to see was me escaping that awful house, five empty bottles of wine, my mom and a few of her friends passed out on the couch and ground, and several packets worth of cigarette butts scattered on the carpet." He hugged himself. "So guess who took the brunt of it?"

Nobody knew what they were supposed to say to that. The only thing Sophie could think to do was pull him closer to her. He stayed and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. When he pulled back with a sniffle, his eyes were glassy.

After dinner, they all migrated over to the living room. Sophie took her usual spot on the loveseat. When Keefe came over, he didn't cuddle up to her side or lay his head on her shoulder like he usually did when he was upset. He curled up on his side and laid his head in her lap.

It was that bad. She didn't want to imagine what his dad could've said to him. If she did find out, she was probably going to land herself in juvie.

She gently ran her hand up and down his side. When he looked up at her with puppy dog eyes, she couldn't hide her smile at the subtle hint. Her hand traveled up to his head, and she ran her fingers through his hair. Some of his tension, even if just a little bit, eased as she scratched his scalp.

Soon after, her parents had gone into their room, leaving her and Keefe alone. They stayed where they were for a while longer before mutually agreeing it was getting late, and it was probably time to go to bed.

She wasn't in her room long, however, when a weak knock rapped at her door. She said to come in.

Keefe slowly opened the door. "Hey. Would it be alright if I... stayed in here. I don't want to be alone with my thoughts right now."

It took Sophie a moment to piece together what he was trying to ask. "You want to come lay down with me?"

He hesitantly nodded. "If that's ok with you."

She was more than fine with it. Her parents, however, would likely be less than thrilled. They weren't doing anything wrong, per say. She just had a good feeling that they wouldn't be too happy to go wake her up and find her sleeping with her boyfriend in her bed.

But... the way he stood there so vulnerable. She wasn't going to tell him no. She glanced at her parents' door across the hall.

"Shut the door," she told him, pulling back her blanket and waving him over.

He slowly laid down beside her. She rolled over and draped her arm across his waist. He shuffled closer to snuggle his head in the crook of her neck.

"Thank you," Keefe whispered.

"Of course. You definitely deserve some cuddles." She kissed the top of his head and stroked his hair, lulling him to sleep.

Sophie awoke to a presence hovering over her. She blinked the blurriness from her vision. She would've screeched if Keefe hadn't still been asleep in her arms when she recognized Edaline above her.

"I can explain," she started. "He said that he didn't want to be alone, and I couldn't just send him back to the living room after that."

Edaline chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I trust you two. Just couldn't resist seeing your reaction." Her smile was slightly evil. "Although, word for the wise, you might want to get up before your dad does."

[chefalier]

He said, “Sit down son, we've gotta talk.”  I said, "it's my life, I'm gonna do what I want.  I'm not gonna crawl, I'm gonna walk.  Walk right out that door." He said "I used to be a lot like you,  There's nothing you've done that I didn't do." I left and said, "Dad, I'm bulletproof.  We've been through this before."

I couldn't believe it There was a tear in my old man's eye When I was leaving He tried to say goodbye

And now I've seen a couple miles on a gravel road.  Been taught a couple things that I didn't know.   I learned a little thing called sacrifice.  Givin' up on dreams, lost a couple fights.  All anybody wants is a better life.  And something to believe.

I couldn't believe it When the tears came to my eyes It isn't easy Standing on the other side

"Sit down, son, we gotta talk.  Hey it's your life, you're gonna do what you want.  I won't say crawl before you walk." ‘Cause I heard my old man in my mind saying

He said, “Stand tall when you stumble.  Stay proud when you're humbled.  All the lessons you learn won't be the ones that you plan.   And every step up that mountain will be more than worth counting.  And when you walk through the valley,  may you walk like a man.   

And when you go on without me,  Walk like a man.”     

@rxbelluscruris

NOTE: for 32 DAYS OF SANJI: FAMILY, I’m mixing playlist for Sanji and Zeff but unfinished yet, this is just one of the tracks.

[egg-emperor]

whelp, i had an interesting dream about eggman and starline like having kids. like a human and a platypus lol

I'm not big on fan kids stuff because family related stuff in general just ain't my thing but I have made a small exception and thought about the possibility too, considering Starline was messing around with DNA and it could possibly make something like it possible despite both being male and interspecies, if Starline could've eventually advanced in his skills to create whole beings with their DNA. Kind of cursed but intriguing too, how it'd work and how a human and platypus of their own would look and all.

Starline asks Eggman if he can try for an experiment to test his abilities but it's actually also because he just really wants to have kids with him lol. He'd be really proud to say that Eggman is the second father of his kids and it gives people an idea of how close and intimate they get with each other, even though they weren't actually naturally conceived. I always saw him taking their relationship a lot more seriously than Eggman who was just fucking around with him, so he'd just be like "woah wait what" to all this because he didn't intend for it to go so far.

But maybe Eggman thinks he can't pull off something so crazy so he's reluctant but is eventually just like "ugh fine whatever you can try it" to Starline's pleading and he uses his DNA. But then he actually does succeed and he's like "oh shit wait I can't do this" because I just can't imagine that even IDW Eggman would be enthusiastic about living kids, the appeal in robots is that they don't require the same amount of time and care, so only Metal Sonic can be his son lol. So I could see him being unenthusiastic and would get Starline to deal with them most of the time while he says he's too busy.

Eggman would be clearly uninterested unless he could get some use out of them for something like his plans if they could eventually become evil like their fathers and then he'd suddenly try to act like he cares Idk 💀 Best dad ever djdbwkgksbg But he wouldn't have to pretend to be more enthusiastic because Starline would just be so happy and lovestruck, constantly gushing over them being like a family, getting to say Eggman is the second father to the kids, and him just being at their side and interacting with them for a few seconds every now and then delights him even though it's hardly very fatherly.

And so Eggman just thinks well at least it's easy to keep him happy and hopefully raise his chances of always wanting to stay with him and remain loyal to him, since that's what he's been trying to do since they met. It's why he got intimate with him in the first place, to keep him hooked and get all the good use and benefits out of his adoration for him as he could and just have fun with having him wrapped around his finger. He'd thought of many ways to do so but still, never was having kids with him on his mind as one of the ideas as he never even expected it to be possible lol

I've thought about this to a surprising degree for how little the general concept interests me but in this case I think it's a pretty interesting and funny what if XD

[bluedemon1995]

Hope you like this latest chapter. I think, I'm almost done with this one. Please comment and let me know what you think. I'Ve gone back to rotating my focus so hopefully you follow all my stories!

Pidge POV

While everyone is busy planning Pidge can't keep her eyes off Matt. His hair is longer than hers, pulled back in a messy pony tail. She vaguely remembers her mom scolding him and saying she was going to cut his hair if he didn't go with dad to the barber. It's funny how memories are popping up now when he's right in front of her. He has a scar on his forehead but otherwise looks very similar to her. Same eye color, same hair. Hell, his is probably nicer than hers.

It's like she's in some strange alternate universe. But if she being honest... it was also very scary. Because, if one thought about it rationally, everything she thought she knew for the last ten years was a lie.

Everything.

She wasn't alone. She wasn't an orphan. And isn't that the rub. She could've had a family, all this time. It could have been her and Matt. It makes her sad to think what she missed out on. Birthdays, holidays, or anniversaries of the accident. Where she suffered alone. And even when Lotor was with her he never really understood. He never realized what she felt or was going through. And looking back, she could see he didn't even really try to pretend for her either. And that just made her feel so much more alone.

At some point she would just hide away in her room and work herself to sleep. She felt like she was in a tunnel suddenly, with her breath hiccuping and her vision wavering. Oh God, she can't breathe.  She had to get up. She had to move. But then she ... felt an arm slip around her shoulders and pull her close. Warmth. Heat. Her heart rate started to sync...Keith. He was here. He was real.

And she didn't care that he was FBI or law enforcement. Because with him she didn't feel alone.

She was not alone. She turned in his arms and just held on. It's funny how someone she only knew for such a short period of time could mean so much to her. Yet here she is. Surrounded by people who are on her side. And Keith.

Re-centered, she focused back onto the conversation going on around her. Glad for once there were so many people in the room. It was a few hours after the big reveal and while Keith's apartment was cramped with so many people, for once it didn't make her feel like running or hiding away. Hunk had prepared a spaghetti dinner complete with homemade bread and salad. It was hilarious when Lance questioned Keith having the ingredients for bread and Hunk sheepishly admitted to stocking his pantry, 'for emergencies'.

When she looked at Keith, he whispered, "I didn't even know I had a pantry!"

And when Lance was outraged that he didn't have a stockpile. Hunk replied that since Lance technically still lives at home, his mom has their place well stocked! Then there was Krolia and Kolivan. Kolivan finally returned with his report and Pidge could see how he'd fit in the the biker gang image. He was a tough guy but when he spoke he was so quiet and calm. It just inspired her trust in him.

Then of course, there was Matt. He was nearby, constantly finding excuses to touch her arm, hand or shoulder. It was odd. She wasn't a touchy freely person and yet, she was so happy that he seemed happy to have found her too. Despite what she had been involved in. Finally dinner in hand, they  were seated all around various parts of Keith's living room.

Finally, I voiced a concern that was nagging at me. "Shiro, have we ever...met? I feel like I recognized your voice somehow? Or even your...shape?"

Matt replied, loudly, "Shiro and I were gaming friends long before we ever met. So, I would be playing games with him and you'd be in my room. So you probably did hear him but I don't think you ever saw him. But after the accident and rehab, I mentioned I needed to go to school and he convinced me to go to the same school as him. So, with nothing left to lose I did. I have a family picture of us, so Shiro has seen you before. Plus, let's be honest, we sorta look alike."

Pidge nods, "That makes sense. Unfortunately that's about the only thing that does."

Matt counters, "Okay, now that we are fed. We need to focus. Plan. I'm betting Lotor's dad is behind this. But Katie, do you think Lotor knew as well?"

She thought about it but replied, "Probably not. His dad does not respect him and they aren't close. At all, so I cannot imagine him telling a pre-teen Lotor anything. Maybe he encouraged him to be my friend but nothing overt."

Shiro nods, "Okay so why?"

Everyone is quiet, thinking.

Keith POV

"Let's take it from a slightly different angle. How did Zarkon benefit? He's pretty self serving. There is no way he didn't get something out of this."

Matt picks up, "Yeah, I'm thinking it has to do with the project my dad was working on. Some kind of weapon. I know once he died, the project did too."

Keith counters, "Then why separate you two? What are we missing? What does Zarkon desire or want?"

"Money, every bad guy wants money." stated Lance firmly.

Hunk countered, "Power, he likes to be the big kahuna. Maybe this weapon would have cost him that."

More answers were kicked around when Pidge interjects, "Control. From what I see Zarkon lives for control. In every aspect. So by causing the accident, he needed to control for the outcome or at least several outcomes. No one could have predicted Matt would be thrown from the car or I would be stuck in it. Let's be honest, people survive accidents all the time. But he prepared for all possibilities. Sooooo, that means he got something out of it. But what did he gain control of? I didn't get any money. Or things.”

Keith guesses, "Maybe he knew that the weapon mission would fail but he also knew that your dad got much farther than maybe he imagined. Do we know what the weapon was?"

Matt replied, "I tried looking into it but I couldn't get further than it was a top secret project. I've hacked into several sites over the years looking for more data but it's very cryptic. In fact it doesn't even sound like a weapon at all. More like an organic compound really. So

"That's it!! I remember mom being a gardener but really she was probably a botanist. So Zarkon has control of all drugs running in and out of Galra City. And if anyone wants in they need to bow to him. He's expanded his network and this is what Lotor was trying to beat him at. Althea. But what if there was a way to diminish his hold? What if they created something that was a weapon only in the hand of the Garrison or police? I remember her telling me that nothing is untraceable. And no one is untouchable.”

Krolia speaks up, "Zarkon has a big footprint. If we could know what drugs are his and track it someway, it would go a long way in stopping the flow. But his network of them getting the drugs into the country is, well a mystery. If we could figure that out. Well, that would be a game changer."

Everyone is quiet. Finally, Katie looks up, "So Matt, I think you need to show me what you have. If our parents were killed over this, well, they had to be close."

Matt nods, "Definitely."

Hunk interjects, "Uh, I could probably help. I'm really good at making things or finding patterns."

Keith grins, "Well, while you guys figure the item, why don't the rest of come up with a battle plan or trap?"