Royce DeBarry x Carmelita Fox

Chapter 26: Wanting Answers.

With Ashla now being arrested, taken away from the  DeBarry's residence, Royce and the Fox's begin to relax.

Cheyenne Fox: "I can't believe you manage to not only incapacitate an intruder but also defend yourself and us against that Cat!"

Royce: "Family comes first," Royce told Cheyenne as he bowed before her and the other Foxes, "your family, who is now my family comes first."

Dallas: "So young man, what do you plan on doing now that trouble has been dealt with?"

Royce: "Actually, I was wondering if you guys could stay over and enjoy some company? Maybe play a couple games?"

Carmelita: "No offense sweetheart, I don't think my parents will or even would play videogames"

Carlos: "You possess illegal equipment?" Royce's father-in-law raised his voice before looking at his daughter, "did you know anything about this?"

Carmelita: "I can't deal with this anymore," Carmelita said, submitting to peer-pressure, "If anyone needs me, I'll be feeding Hoshimi." Carmelita informs the family as she went to feed Hoshimi.

Carlos: "I'd start talking if I were you," Carlos threatened before bringing out his shock-pistol, "possessing human technology of any kind is illegal."

Royce: "Except if you are human." Royce countered, "And I have my rights to 'possess illegal technology' according to your society, your government's, your society's laws and Interpol." Royce added on, before noticing Carlos looking towards the Master-bedroom, "and don't even think about asking Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox, she'll just tell you the same thing. She can confirm that I'm telling you the truth, Sir."

Hearing Royce call Carlos "Sir" caught him off-guard, especially while interrogating the Son-in-law. This resulted in Carlos changing the subject in an attempt to make Royce drop his guard about his "human possessions".

Carlos: "You refer to me as 'Sir'? Do you see me as an authoritative figure, young man?"

Royce: "I did Mr.Carlos, as a parental figure as well," this resulted in Carlos raising an eyebrow in doubt, "and I am aware of the fact that there is- I mean are 'legal issues' involving the possession of human technology. As I explained to Carmelita."

Carlos: "You had better be telling me the truth, Royce, or else that child of yours will be growing up without a father-figure in her life."

Royce: "You seriously don't believe me," Royce asks the male Fox with sarcasm and criticism as he was more than eager to shock and taze the 22-year-old, "proof is in the back-room, on the middle-shelf, in a rectangular-box on the left," he informs his father-in-law, as Carlos instantly went towards the back-room and began searching through the box, "you'll find several pieces of identification, species type, blood type, age, known allergies, medications, the like..." Once Carlos was satisfied with answers he received and got the proof that he wanted, he put the documents and pieces of paperwork back where they belong. Carlos then went back into the living room and confronted Royce, face-to-face, before apologizing to his son-in-law because he didn't trust the young 22-year-old, and thought that he was lying the entire time. "Mr.Carlos, Sir, I have known your daughter to be a truthful person. Do not hesitate to ask me a question unless it is a really personal question. I will, and I mean will answer any questions involving me to the best of my abilities, ok?"

Carlos: "Okay," Carlos firmly replied, "how did you get to know my baby girl? How did you meet her?" This question from Carlos made Royce feel a little bit hesitant, even awkward, not knowing if his father-in-law would believe him.

Royce: "Honestly, that," Royce pointed to his Sony PS4 entertainment console, only to earn a confused look from Carlos as his head tilted a little to the left, in addition to his ears drooping as well, "oh boy..." Royce said to himself as he mentally face-palmed himself, "Ok..." Royce then starts explaining to Carlos while the other family members listened as well, "so when I was 7; corrections: shortly after I turned 7, and we were enjoying Christmas Morning, I was just opening presents that my parents got me; it was this videogame called 'Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus'," this really started getting the family's attention, "I played as well... Sly Cooper, and, of course Carmelita was trying arrest Sly because... well, he's a criminal, but he steals from other criminals."

Carlos: "But you still haven't explained to me on how you are tied in any of this," Carlos stated, "I don't care if my daughter HAD a love-interest with some petty criminal, or anything like that right now. What I want to know is how are you..." Carlos then sighs, giving up. "How did you meet my daughter? That's what I want to know, ok?"

Royce: "Ok," agreeing with Carlos, as to not instigate an argument or cause trouble, "I was taken from my world, taken back in time, along with your daughter whom also was in time for a different reason and she rescued me from this Siamese Cat whom was seriously abusive as you already witnessed. I tried running away from her but she and her Guards managed to capture me; eventually, the mistrust went so far that Ashla made sure to keep blades against my back while on escort as to remind who is in charge," as Royce went on, Carlos saw a different side of Royce and feeling sorry, "and one day, your daughter comes out of nowhere, kicking a Siamese Cat Guard unconscious and shocking another before taking me to her hideout. Providing treatment and whatnot."

Carlos: "Alright, I'm convinced boy. Tell me something about yourself other than how you met my daughter. I'm all ears."

Royce: "I'm a victim of Domestic Violence."

Fox Family: "Now there, that's not something to be joking about," the Fox Family took Royce's statement not as something about himself but as an insult, "people get hurt, children and families are torn apart, turns innocent people in monsters." This resulted in Royce getting so angry about the false accusations that his fists started balling up.

Royce: "I'M NOT LYING!" Royce yelled, trying not to raise his voice to wake Carmelita and Hoshimi, "when I was a kid, I witnessed my stepfather throw such a rage and anger that he took it out on my mother; beating her badly and even thrown a chair at her; I just watched as the violence continue; eventually, I got fed up with it and nearly dialed 9-1-1 because my mother wasn't going to defend herself; the only reason why that monster of a stepfather calmed down was I threatened to call the police on him for hurting my mother; I told him to either leave the house and calm down or you're going to be in jail. From that day on, I still have nightmares from that day; I have to constantly remind myself that I'm not that kind of person, nor a monster. What was worse was I had to live with him every... single... day... wondering when is the next day he will snap? And you're telling me that I don't know what it feels like to be victimized, along with a disability no one knew you had?! Huh?! I'll tell you this, since I was 7-years-old and from that day, that's how life was from time to time for me was like."

Fox Family: "We're sorry," they apologized, "we didn't even know you were damaged."

Carlos: "I'm the one who is really sorry about you, your pain and your parents. I will be more than happy to let you be with my daughter, forever. Just promise me that you won't break up with her."

Royce: "I promise Sir. I don't cheat on those who I'm in a relationship with."

Carlos: "Thank you, but if you do and if I find out, I will find you and hunt you down. Got it?"

Royce: "Got it!"