Gideon was in the kitchen when Jared came in from his run the next morning, Hoping to avoid conversation, Jared made quick work of making breakfast, keeping his back to Gideon.

 

“You're still mad at your brother, ain’t ya?”

 

Jared slathered peanut butter on some toast. “I’m mad at everyone.” At Declan, for lying. At his dad, for rescuing him and then dying. At the Agents, who thought that they were above other humans, especially rescues, most of whom were far more decent than any Agent would ever be.

 

At Reese, for giving Jared the best kiss of his life and then driving away.

 

Gideon grabbed two plates out of the cupboard. “Yeah, this world will do that to ya.”

 

Jared grunted, swallowing his breakfast in a few quick bites in a hurry to escape conversation.

 

Gideon caught him on the fourth step. “It’s okay to be angry, Jared. What matters is what you do with it.”

 

Jared retreated upstairs without a reply, feeling a bit too fragile this morning for Gideon’s insights. He also wanted to switch his hoodie for a tee shirt. The day had warmed quickly and he didn't want to be too hot while training outside. He was headed back down to meet Declan when he heard faint sniffs coming from Rae’s bedroom.

 

Jared stopped outside the door, gently nudging the door further open. “Rae?” He looked into her room and saw her sitting cross-legged on the floor, her shoulders hunched and a few crumpled up tissues decorating the floor beside her. Jared stepped into her room. “RaeRae? What's wrong?” When he knelt down beside her, he got his answer.

 

Rae had pulled out her duffel, the contents laid out on the floor in front of her. “I’d forgotten these photos were in here,” she told him. Jared wrapped an arm around Rae’s shoulders, his own eyes welling up at the picture she held in her hand.

 

It was of the four of them at the beach, him and Rae and Declan with their dad.  Johnathan was standing waist deep in the ocean with Rae plastered to his back like a little starfish, while Declan was gripping Jared’s arm in savior of him succumbing to the rolling waves. Their dad’s face was bright with a big grin, and Rae’s head was thrown back in laughter.

 

Jared almost choked on the sudden lump that rose in his throat. He remembered that day; it had been not too long after being rescued. Jared hadn't spoken for the whole first month he had lived with the Coopers, still too afraid that saying the wrong thing would get him thrown back out onto the streets, or worse. Declan and Rae had chattered around him nonstop, confident in the fact that Jared would speak eventually. When Declan had started talking about the beach, and playing in the ocean, Jared had whispered his first words since they had brought him home: “I’ve never seen the ocean.”

 

The two Cooper siblings had stared at him in horror after his admission. Jared’s heart had stopped, in fear that these two kids were about to turn him over to the Agents, but instead they had run down the stairs, yelling excitedly to their father that they had to take Jared to the beach.  Two days later, Johnathan did.

 

“Oh, man.” Jared said, when his throat was working again. He squeezed Rae’s shoulder. “Declan thought he’d never teach me how to swim.”

 

Rae huffed. “Only an idiot teaches someone to swim in the ocean,” she said, wiping her eyes.

 

Jared let out a noise that was half sob, half laugh. “Declan somehow made it work.” He reached out and picked up his dad’s Renegade tag. Similar to pictures Jared had seen of old fashioned military dog tags, a small plate of metal marked with Johnathan’s name and city hung from a silver chain, along with Declan listed as his next of kin.

 

Rae plucked the tag from Jared’s fingers so she could study it herself. “He hated this thing.”

 

Jared removed his arm from her shoulders and sat down next to her. “How come it’s even in here? Didn't he have to wear it?” Jared wondered if Reese wore one and who would be listed on his.

 

Rae shifted. “You’re supposed to wear it in the field. But dad hated it. Said it felt like it made him marked like some piece of property.” Her gaze dropped to Jared’s scarred wrist. “Sorry.”

 

Jared shrugged. He could understand Johnathan’s sentiment. “Declan never takes his off.”

 

She sniffed, and wiped her nose on her shirt sleeve. “Yeah, well, Declan’s weird.”

 

“You’re weird,” their older brother retorted from the doorway, neither one of them having heard him approach. “Why aren’t you two outside? You think just cause it’s the weekend that you can skip out on training?”

 

Rae turned to glare at him, and Declan’s brows knit in concern when he saw her teary eyes. “What’s all this?” Declan walked further into the room.

 

Jared handed him the photo of the four of them on the beach, watching Declan’s face for his reaction. “Man,” Declan said, putting an effort into sounding light. “You sucked at swimming.” He cleared his throat and Jared caught him swiping at his eyes.

 

Jared smacked him in the shin. “That’s because I had never done it before! And you threw me into all the waves, jerk.”

 

“Yeah, well, you learned quick, didn't you?” Declan teased. Jared hit him again.

 

Rae stood, eager for a distraction. “What was that you said about training? I feel like hitting something.” 

 

Declan pulled her into a tight hug, only lasting a second before she affectionately shoved him away and headed downstairs. “Jared!” Declan called, when he didn't follow.

 

“I’m coming!” Jared ducked into his bedroom and put the picture in the top drawer of his nightstand. He took one quick look at his rumpled bed that Reese slept in the night before, then went to join his brother and sister outside.