“Nikki:And you're not scared of anything!”

Leo pauses. His eyes grow distant as he stares at his lap. Nikki watches.

“I was today.”

Nikki blinks. : you were?

Leo turns. He looks right at nikki like he holds the moon, sun and stars in her eyes. “Yeah.”

He reaches for Nikki shoulder and pulls him close enough to press their foreheads together. The slider shuts his eyes and clenches his jaw.

thought I might lose you,” he says. “You're all we have left, nikki You're the reason we're doing any of this. You're the reason I'm brave. Don't know what the hell I'd do without you ” hija

“Oh yeah,” Leo huffs, swiping a thumb under his damp eye—like nikki wouldn't notice. “Like you wouldn't believe.”

Still riding the giddy high, nikki snickers. “Y'know what, though?” he whispers, despite them being the only ones in the room.

Still, Leo leans in and whispers back, what he whispered back

think Subprime was even more scared. I mean, if Krang could piss themselves—”

Leo throws his head back with a startled bark of laughter. “Jesus, kid—!”

“Am I wrong?” Nikki cackles, kicking his feet. “I mean, what you did was sick—in more ways than one—and he deserved it! An eye for an arm! That's what he gets for messing with my Dad—!”

Leo stops laughing. Nikki eyes pop wide open. They stare at each other.

Nikki sweats.

Too much, too soon, too far.

But then Leo smiles, wide and delighted, eyes brighter than Nikki has ever seen them. “... Hell yeah,” he says. “And that bastard had to learn not to mess with my daughter .”

Daughter Nikki could dance.

But then Leo's smile becomes a sly grin, his right arm slowly moving around nikki And you're right. He had it coming. 'Cos nobody messes with your Dad. C'mere, you!”

“Oh no—!” AH! Nonononono—ow, Sen—Dad, stoppit—!” Nikki giggles.

“Absolutely not!” Leo cackles. “And don't think you're off the hook just because you called me 'Dad' and we had a whole heart-to-heart thing! Your ass is still grounded—for three months!”

“What?!”

“You heard me! Leo smile amused