"Soda!" Tess shouted. "It's fine. I know Steve cares about Pony and me. Don't lose your best friend over me."

"But-" Soda whispered.

We were all hurting. But Soda more than us. He felt his best friend slipping through his fingers, and he couldn't stop him.

"Don't." Tess pinned him with a glare.

"Steve, I," Soda said.

"It's fine," Steve said. "I'm fine with the brats."

I would've been happy if Steve hadn't called Tess and Pony brats, but I'll take what I could get from him.

Tess' head snapped towards Steve. "I'm starting to regret the fact that I ran interference for you," she muttered.

"Sorry," he said. "I'm trying."

He was, but being nice wasn't easy for him. He was used to being very prickly with everybody around him. Too used to it. He couldn't remember how to be nice to everybody.

Tess smiled at him and nodded, before wandering away.

It wasn't much, but I knew she accepted him. That's really all we can ask for. Acceptance.

"Steve, ya good?" Soda asked.

"Headache," he muttered. "Migraine."

I gasped. "Steve, it isn't your fault. You're not guilty. Stop. Feeling. Guilty."

Not another broken mind. I don't know if the gang can survive with one of them broken. Shattered.

"His mind's breaking?" Fitz whispered.

"I think so," I replied.

"I'll get Tess and Johnny," Dex said.

Steve whimpered and clutched his head. The pain must be getting unbearable.

"Steve," Tess whispered. "It ain't your fault. Ya gotta get over the guilt. Just like Johnny did. Beat it. Soda needs his best friend, and I need somebody to bug."

Leave it to Tess, to show that she cared about him, while insulting him at the same time.

He laughed at Tess' words but immediately clutched his head.

"We'll need to inflict," I whispered.

"Make it stop," he muttered.

"You'll be fine," Tess whispered. "Ya ain't guilty of anything."

"But-" he muttered.

"We need you," Tess said firmly. "Soda's hurting, and he needs his best friend."

"I hate migraines."

It's not a migraine, Steve. Your mind's breaking from guilt.

"This ain't a migraine," Tess said. "You're mind's breaking from guilt."

"Exactly what I was thinking," I said.

"Let's get started," Tess said.

"Just make the pain stop," Steve said, his teeth clenched. "Now would be nice."

"There's the cocky Steve we all know and love," Tess said, smiling.

"Let's enter his mind," I said.

I opened my mind to his thoughts. Swirling, jagged darkness awaited me.

Sophie? Tess transmitted. You in?

Yes, I replied. Start inflicting.

I thought of all the times I had seen Steve joking around with Soda and Two. Laughing, pranking, just being Steve.

I shoved the happiness out of my mind, trying to seal the cracks in his mind.

Most of the cracks closed up, but there was still a couple that wouldn't close.

What are we gonna do? Tess asked.

Who is his favorite person? I asked. The one person he loves most?

Maria.

I thought of all the memories I had of Maria. The time when she had broken Dallas' nose, and Steve applauded her. When she was sobbing, and Steve simply hugged her.

I shoved the emotions out of my heart.

"Thanks for getting rid of the migraine," Steve said as Tess and I pulled out of his mind.

"That wasn't a migraine," I said. "Your mind broke."

"It was a migraine," he insisted.

I saw the desperation on his eyes. He didn't want to feel weak. He wanted to keep his cold demeanor intact.

"Well, we fixed it," I said. "Guilt contributed to the sharpness of the pain."

I hoped he would understand my warning. If he doesn't want to acknowledge the fact that his mind broke, I hope he doesn't ignore the reason.

"Yeah, I'm done feeling guilty for something I didn't do," he said.

"If he's being that cocky, he's fine." Tess smirked. "And he can stand a couple punches."

"No way," Steve said, glaring at her. "No w-"

Tess cut him off with a punch on the shoulder. "You can stand it," she said.

"Yeah, Steve," Maria said. "You're tuff, right?"

"Yeah, I'm rude. But that doesn't mean I want to get punched," he whined.

"Too bad," Tess said, smirking. "I don't care. Why else would I try so hard to bring you back, if I couldn't tease you?"

"Soda?" Steve asked. "I know ya love him.  And I'm his best friend, whom he can't live without."

"Nice try, but nope," Tess said.

"Well, why?" Steve asked. "You hate me."

"Nope," Tess said. "I'm gonna go find somebody who's actually fun."

She walked away, trying to stifle her giggles.

"Fine. Be that way," Steve muttered.

"Telepaths," Keefe muttered.

"Empaths," I muttered, mocking his tone. "Always reading our emotions."

"I can't help it, Foster," Keefe said, smirking. "Your emotions are way too strong to be ignored."

"But mine are weak?" Steve asked. "'Cause I ain't weak. Not at all."

"Aw, I knew ya were soft," Maria cooed. "You have feelings!"

She pecked him on the cheek, causing his spluttering to cease. "I ain't soft!" he shouted. "I'm tuffer than Dal!"

"There ain't anybody tuffer than me," Dallas drawled. "If ya ain't from New York, ya ain't anywhere near as tuff as me."

"New York really makes ya tuff," Maria whispered.

Her eyes were distant, seeing an old memory. A hard one, from the unshed tears in her eyes.

"But Winstons can handle it," Dallas said gruffly, touching Maria's shoulder. "Winstons can handle anything life throws at us."

"Yeah. We can." Maria smiled at Dallas, before turning to Steve and saying, "Steve? Headache's gone?"

"Yeah," he said. "I'm good."

"Come on. I wanna show ya something," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him outside.

"Foster, I want something special," Keefe whined. "Everybody's doing something for their favorite person."

"So I should do something special for Dex?" I asked. "My best friend?"

"No! Me!" he shouted.

"I don't feel like that," I said, pulling out my home crystal. "I want Edaline's mallowmelt."

"Get some for me, then." Keefe smirked. "Okay, Foster?"

"Nope," I said. "Get your own."

"Harsh, Foster."

"I don't really care," I said.

"Like I said. Harsh."