"Run to the fence and back and then come get breakfast." Bill walked out without saying another word as Laz took off out the door into the woods. The last time he was here, he had just enabled his hearing and seeing senses. Now that he actually had a spiritual sense, the woods seemed far more alive. He could still use his senses to see beyond 10 meters, but within the 10 meters, he knew everything that was there and what was happening. It was like an invisible bubble surrounded him and within the bubble, he knew all.

Quickly completing the run to the fence and back, as Laz approached the barn area, he saw Bill and his grandpa sitting next to the grill, cooking some fresh eggs and sausage while drinking coffee. They both always seemed to enjoy a camping style breakfast as Laz noticed there was even an old style kettle hanging over the open fire.

Laz grabbed a tin cup and poured himself some of the pipping hot coffee while he sat down on a log and blew on the hot liquid. Both men watched Laz as he blew on it again and again, trying to cool it down somewhat before taking a sip. Their expressions resembled a couple of kids keeping a joke to themselves as Laz took a big sip. He could feel it burning his throat as the hot liquid ran down his throat. It almost felt like he had drank a cup of liquid fire as he could help coughing several times, trying to get his throat to relax.

"What the h.e.l.l?" Laz said between coughs.

Both men looked at each other and practically fell over, shaking with laughter.

"What kind of coffee is this?" Laz asked after he finally settled down.

"Irish Cream. What do you think?" Grandpa Crowe replied as he started to sit up again.

"Irish Cream?" Laz asked while looking at the cup.

"Don't think too much about it and just have another sip. Just go a bit slow on it, alright?" His grandpa advised him while taking a sip of his own coffee.

Bill just sat there and drank some more of his own, enjoying the company his best friend and best friend's grandson provided. It hadn't been this lively at his place in a long time.

Laz took a slow sip and felt the burning on his throat again, but it didn't seem that intense this time. Looking at his grandpa, he wanted to ask why he had come out here, but didn't know how to phrase it and instead just asked, "How are you feeling, grandpa?"

"Oh, I'm good today. I just wanted to visit Bill for a bit and decided to pop by earlier."

"Oh, that's good. I'm glad you're alright, grandpa."

"Ha! This old man isn't about to die yet there little Laz," his grandpa responded while smiling.

"Of course, things are probably going to be a bit hectic every now and then."

"Why is that grandpa?" Laz couldn't help but ask.

"That's because that Joey decided to take off without saying anything. I'm asking your Grandpa Bill here to come over every now and then and see if anything needs fixing. At least he cleaned out his place first though. I was afraid we would have to torch it," Grandpa Crowe joked while laughing.

Laz couldn't help but lower his head and turn a bit red. It only now occurred to him that he never mentioned what happened between him and Joey and didn't think about the fact that Joey actually did something around the place.

"Eh? What's wrong there Laz? Might want to drink that coffee a bit slower," Bill suggested while pulling out the plates to put the food on. He then pa.s.sed the plates around while Grandpa Crowe took the initiative to refill everyone's cup.

Taking another small sip, Laz looked up at the two old men who were absorbed in their thoughts and the food, not paying much attention to Laz.

"This coffee tastes really good once you get used to it," Laz complimented after a few more sips.

"Actually, the coffee itself is c.r.a.p, but it tastes good after a while cause of the alcohol in it." Bill stated while munching on a sausage link.

"WHAT?" Laz asked, openly shocked.

"HA HA HA." Both men roared with laughter again at Laz's shocked. He never thought they would allow him to drink but it seemed like they were doing it on purpose so he settled down rather quickly.

"Laz..." Bill started to say but was quickly interrupted by Grandpa Crowe.

"Laz, my dad always used to say that when a boy becomes a man, it's his dad's job to give him his first drink and to tell him, 'You are now a man.'" Grandpa Crowe said rather seriously.

"But Grandpa," Laz muttered. "I've not even been with a girl yet..." Laz's voice trailed off as though he was rather embarra.s.sed to say it in front of these two. He only realized right now that he did indeed still feel like a boy in front of these two and he respected them far more than he could say.

Not matter if it was how his grandpa had taken care of him over these years or how Bill had started training him when he needed it most, he understood that both of these old guys were people to be respected. It was as if they understood the world far more than he ever could.

Bill looked at him seriously as well and said, "Sometimes, being a man isn't just about getting your rocks off with a woman. It's about your state of mind, your strength, and your ability to rely on only yourself when the time comes."

Both men stared at the young man with a strange gaze for a moment, as though looking through him. Laz looked back at them and could feel the strong sense of killing intent from them for a few moments. It was only know that he understood that even if they didn't know what he did, they knew that he had done it. When someone has taken another's life for the first time, their aura changes. It becomes stronger, more dominate and isn't something a normal person would have.

Laz continued to look at them despite their killing intent with his deep blue eyes. He didn't waver in the slightest.

"You've already seen the reaper. You've felt his breath on your neck and heard his cries of death in your ears. You don't have to tell us what happened because we both trust you. Because of this, you are qualified to sit here and drink a few cups with us my boy," Grandpa Crowe said, as though reciting an incantation.

He and Bill both raised their tin mugs to Laz and waited. Laz, knowing what they wanted, raised his own mug and all three men took a deep drink, finis.h.i.+ng off whatever was in their cups.

Setting his mug down while looking out on the sunrise, Laz reflected for a moment before asking, "Why now though?"

Laz had sensed the dissonance with Bill the last time he was here, although he didn't know it at the time. He just thought he was agitated by the old man due to the events that transpired. It was only now that he realized the same feeling was coming from his grandfather as well.

"Laz, I know you feel it. We all have the same feeling from each other." Grandpa Crowe picked up the kettle and refilled everyone's cup. Laz could feel the warmth flowing through his system and knew that this stuff was rather strong. Despite his now somewhat powerful body, the alcohol was taking effect from the inside and causing him to not only be a bit warm, but it also made him a bit emotional.

"You, your grandfather and I are all the same. We are all being affected by this strange mutation. The problem is that both I and your grandfather are not young anymore. Not by a long shot. It's impacting us far harder than it is you, Laz." Bill answer his question rather solemnly.

"Laz, my boy. I don't know where your parents are, nor do I know when they will be back. The last thing I heard, they were only suppose to be away for a year, but as you know, it's been more than two years now." Grandpa Crowe looked straight at Laz when he said this.

"Your parents are two rather special people. I've already told Bill the details, but I can't tell you just yet. Just know though that they love you very much and they never would have left if they had a choice."

Taking a deep breath, Laz's only response was to sigh ans say, "I know."

"My son and daughter in law are many things, but they were never the best parents. Despite that, they just wanted the best for you. But things are becoming more and more chaotic. And I..."

Laz waited for a moment, but his grandpa didn't continue.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I don't know how much longer I can continue waiting her with you for them. I might not be around anymore by the time they return..." Grandpa Crowe's voice broke at this confession. As a man who spent years hardening himself in battle, he almost couldn't voice these words. It wasn't because he was scared of death. It was because he couldn't bare to leave Laz alone without even a parent around.

"Your grandpa Bill here is going to help you out when you need it and "The Shack" will also belong to you in the future, although he will hold it in his name until you are old enough. I know it's not much, but at least you will always have a home to go to."

All three, one young man and two old men just sat there in silence and continued to drink the spiked coffee. The silence wasn't suffocating, but it was lingering. It was like a cloud had formed over them, making even the bright morning seem dull and colorless.

"Hey, grandpa, grandpa Bill. Have you even seen a woman hit herself in the face with her own b.o.o.bs and knock herself unconscious?" Laz looked up and asked in all seriousness.

Both grown men, hardened by years of battle and decades of time, spit out their coffee at the same time, looking like a pair who had just been told they were were going to be fathers.

Coughing while trying to wipe his face, Bill was the first to respond.

"What? This is what you're asking about right now?" Bill looked at this small and somewhat innocent looking young man, wondering if his ears had gone bad.

"Hey, I figured with your guy's experience, you must have seen everything right?" Laz gave a half smile at them while they took a moment and looked at each other.

"Boy, I've obviously been too nice to you over the years. To think those dirty thoughts are going through your head." Grandpa Crowe looked at Laz and scolded him, albeit playfully.

"Honestly, I was talking to this girl last night and asked her the same thing. I figured considering how big her's are, she could give me an answer, but she got mad instead." Laz had put on his most innocent, child like face, as though wondering why he had been wronged.

Both men broke down in laughter yet again while Bill threw a sausage at Laz. With just this one question and the playful act, he had removed the sorrow from the air in one fell swoop. Everyone finally started feeling loads better and the morning looked quite a bit less gloomy.

"You kid, are too much. Just the fact that she even bothered saying anything to you after that means she doesn't have a bad opinion about you. She might not like you, but she doesn't hate you. Anyway, I've not seen it." Bill said while taking another drink.

"Me either..." said Grandpa Crowe while taking a drink of his own with a smile. Laz, seeing the two men still drinking quickly, couldn't help but do the same.

"But your grandmother used to be able to crush beer cans with her giant set."

This time, Laz was the one to spit out his coffee while choking as the two grown men fell down in laughter.