Nick had stopped dead in his tracks at the scolding. Daniel seemed to remind him of his adopted father, although the words were less caustic. Still, he felt hurt. It wasn't his job to go around following orders. No one had questioned his actions back in the government. They gave him freedom, knowing that he would work more brilliantly when uncontrolled, unfettered. Now, this man, who had no inkling of his work ethics, is doubting him?

He felt confined again, like a locked up wild animal. Freedom was only a little over a month away, yet he started to feel bogged down again, but by what? By this domineering man? By the man's so called morals? Or by the unsettling feelings and emotions that were starting to form in him?

Normally, he would shrug comments off. That was how he managed to still survive in his adopted father's house for so long. But now, he felt it difficult to even push them aside. He gazed sadly as Daniel picked up the phone and firmly pressed the buttons. He knew he made the man angry. Why couldn't he learn to live normally? Why couldn't show any love for those around him? Why wasn't he pleasant?

Was this how everybody felt around him, but never bothered to say something to him about it? Maybe he should, if after he does make it through this case alive that is, go to a far away place where no one would ever find him and live his life without having to burden others with his presence. Sometimes, he wondered whether that was the reason why his adopted father hated him so much, and why his mother had put him up for adoption. They knew he was a nuisance from the start. Was he that cold as an infant or child? He hadn't remembered a time when he had brought happiness to anyone. Everywhere he went, people just frowned and looked away, as if the sight of him pained them.

Nick sighed, feeling that this inherent flaw was unchangeable. If it was that easy to change, he wouldn't be like the stage he was in right now. He was indeed hopeless. He stared at Daniel's form as he realized that Urgof was on the other end of the telephone line. He listened intently to the conversation, knowing that Urgof would probably shred him to pieces when Nick got back to his office. But Nick didn't mind. Everyone was always angry at him in one way or another.

"Urgof, this is ridiculous!" Daniel was replying to something that Urgof had said. Nick listened in, half uninterested. "Yes, I know . . . No, I don't think so . . . What do you mean?"

Nick looked in amusement at Daniel. Just a while back, Nick couldn't picture the man so upset. It was rather uncharacteristic of him, judging from all that Urgof had told Nick about Daniel Brooks. Nick expected the man to act less emotionally and more controlled. Apparently, any inhibitions which this man had earlier had disappeared during the conversation.

Nick wondered why Urgof was arguing with Daniel over this matter. It seemed like Urgof was trying to get on his good side a while back. Why not let Daniel have what he wanted-a robot to follow his orders? Nick felt his arms drooping again. By now, it had been 53 hours since he had last slept. His body was starting to feel the effects of the lack of sleep again. Strange, he always got by with very little sleep. Why did he feel so fatigued now?

"Okay," Nick heard Daniel yield to Urgof. Nick admitted that he was surprised-no, shocked. How did Urgof manage to convince Daniel. "Here!" Daniel's voice made Nick look up. Daniel was holding out the cell phone to Nick.

Nick grabbed it uncertainly, pulling it to his ears. "Yes?" he said bluntly.

"Listen, Nick. I don't like covering your butt for you, but this will be the first and last time. I want you to stop your sh-and act normal for once. I'm not replacing you. I want you to finish this case, all right? If you don't do it, you have breached our contract and it won't be a month, but rather, an eternity before you get to be free. Do you hear me? Don't think that because you solved so many cases before that that will mean anything. Your work doesn't mean sh--, okay? You don't solve this case, you don't leave the government. Get it?" Nick had never heard Urgof so angered before. And Urgof said it like he meant it.

Nick felt so ironic at that moment. For one thing, he felt so out of control, as if his life were not his to live, as if his life didn't matter.. Yet on the other hand, Urgof's tirade made it seem like Nick was the central to this case.

Nick started to feel a little nervousness. At first, he thought that he didn't really care whether he was free or not, but now, he was certain that he wanted to be able to do what he wanted to do. The freedom that he thought he didn't long for now seemed so tempting and inviting. Just one month, maybe he could go through with it. He needed to breathe real air. He needed a real home, not the little cubicle that the government gave him with only enough space for a bed. If only for a week, or even a day, he wanted to know what it felt like to sleep when he wanted to, to eat when he wanted to, and to have control over his life.

"I can't hear you!" Urgof screamed through the other end.

'How could he when I didn't say anything', Nick thought. "I get it." Nick replied. Suddenly, Urgof stopped his screaming. "Good." With that, Urgof hung up. Nick turned off the cell phone.

Nick turned around to face Daniel, whose expression was stern. "I am sorry," he said softly.

Daniel waved his statement off. "No need. Look, I guess we're stuck with you. But I want you to do things my way. I don't want you to corrupt my children nor the Rochester children in any way, you hear that, boy?" Daniel emphasized the last word.

Nick's voice remained as soft as he could without losing clarity. "Yes."

"Secondly, I don't want you to let your violence get out of hand. I know about your work. You've never been shy with a gun. All I ask is that you do not bring a bloody fight into this house. Do not expose any of the children to that stuff, okay? Your job is not only to crack this case, but to solve it so that none of the people in my family and in Rob's family are hurt."

Nick sensed the urgency in Daniel's voice. He now knew the extent of love that Daniel had for his children. Everything that Daniel did was to protect his family. Why did Nick have to get him so upset? He was only doing what a father would do for his own children. Daniel was no different. He would go through any length to fend for them. Surely he would not let a cold-hearted person look after them. Nick felt a little ashamed for being so difficult earlier.

But with shame, there was also a feeling of sadness. If only his adopted father had showed him a fraction of the love that Daniel showed his children, Nick might not feel so alone in this world. But Nick knew that that was an impossible fantasy. He closed his eyes and saw the image of his adopted father's corpse hung high on the ceiling. He remembered how he had found it. No one had been around at the time. He remembered how he slowly took the body down and looked at the face. He would never forget all the angles and features of that face. Though his adopted father never really showed him much love, he did after all, give Nick a place to call home.

Nick switched back to the present. Daniel was a good man. Nick shouldn't try to fight with him. If anything, Nick's job was to help keep his family together. Nick could feel Daniel's love for his children strongly. He wondered how it felt to be on the receiving end of such devotion. It must be a wonderful, warm feeling.

Nick looked to Daniel with calmness, his eyes completely losing their spite. Now, only humility showed through. "Agreed." What more could he have said that wasn't summed up in that one word. He had surrendered to Daniel and to Urgof. The choice had been made for him already. He had no alternative. They didn't give him one.

With that said, Nick felt his head becoming light. He started feeling woozy. Why was he so tired? He had gone one before without sleep for three to four days at a time. "If you have nothing else to tell me, I will get some rest for tonight." He looked to Daniel for permission. Daniel nodded. Nick quietly left Daniel's office, careful to quietly close the door behind him.

Daniel sighed. He hadn't intended to be so rough. It was just that he was worried and wanted to get things straight with Nick so that everything was clear from the start. He never doubted for once Nick's abilities. From what Urgof said and from Nick's attitude, he could tell that Nick was very good at his job.

The only thing that bothered him was Nick's inconsideration of others when it came to working. For Nick, he was here to get some work done, but for everybody else, it had to do with their well-being. Nick didn't look like the type that would be too concerned about the people around him. He looked to be someone who would get to a goal regardless of the means. That was what frightened Daniel. Not that Nick was bad. The boy just didn't have a strong set of principles that he worked by. Hopefully, Daniel would supply that for him.

But when Daniel saw the hesitation and the defeat in Nick's eyes, he hoped that he did not upset the boy too much. He didn't know what Urgof had said to make Nick completely lose the confidence in his tone and turn around to look so defeated. In less than a minute, Nick had relented and apologized. What could Urgof possibly have done to completely drain the color from the youth's face? Daniel didn't know that anything could bend such a strong will. Perhaps one day, he will ask Urgof about it. As of right now, he knew not to question Urgof's authority over Nick. Whatever Urgof did, it had worked and Daniel was in no position to complain.

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