Walter emerged from the elevator that carried him from the third floor of the HCA facility, his expression frustrated and his posture stiff. He has grown tired of having what he cares about be torn away from him, he knows that his sister can survive the lower circles of hell without breaking a sweat, but that doesn't mean he can't be worried.

"Use the best of my abilities to find her... Yeah right, what the hell was I thinking?" Walter muttered quietly to himself.

"If my sister is in trouble what good is a weakling like me gonna do to protect her?" he criticized his earlier statement, it was originally intended as a bluff spoken only to push them to work harder, however if they truly cannot pull through on locating his sister then he's actually going to have to try all he could to find her himself.

"Me and my big fucking mouth" Walter hissed, resting his hands within his pockets while venturing onward towards the main lobby.

"Even if it was a bluff... I still must pull through. It's what Jessica would do for me..." Walter told himself as he finally made his way to the main lobby.

"I take it you must be Walter, aye?" a rather smooth and smoky woman's voice chirped up, bringing Walter's attention from his mulling to the sight of a mare standing before him.

The mare, a pegasus, stood tall before him, taller than Snow Drop at least. Her well combed fur shone an elegant hue of coal black, which complimented the white military fatigues that contrasted her black fur coat. Her frame was athletic, yet curvy. Her hips don't lie, neither does her chest. She brushed the bangs of her white mane out of her face, locking her emerald gaze with Walter's own harrowing oculars.

"Correct" Walter replied, ceasing his movement as the mare extended her hand to him.

"Private Swift Storm, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Barnes" she said, a small grin coming to her lips as Walter's paw engulfed her small nimble hand in greeting.

"I can't say it's a pleasure yet, we've only just met" Walter retorted, causing the mare to chortle with amusement.

"Follow me, wise guy" Storm ordered as she turned her back to Walter and began walking.

As Walter followed behind Storm out of the facility and towards the private lot where most of the staff vehicles are kept, he noticed that Storm would occasionally cast a subtle glance his direction. He took notice to this, but he didn't exactly pay much mind to it, he just distracted himself by examining the parking lot around him and the rest of Canterlot that lie ambient in the background.

"So, Mr. Barnes," Storm began.

"Call me Walter, Mr. Barnes is my father"

"Walter," Storm corrected, "What's your story?"

"Does it matter?" Walter inquired.

"Not really, figured I'd propose some small talk" Storm replied.

"Pick a different subject, then"

Storm grinned, raising a brow while turning her body fully towards him to meet his gaze. She gestured towards a rather pristine looking silver Chariot IV Explorer, a child of human vehicular technology adopted by ponies; rather than petroleum the vehicle is powered by magic. The closest comparison in appearance would be best described as a large Prius.

"Ladies first" Storm spoke, only to be met with an unamused stare from Walter.

After entering the vehicle Storm turned to Walter, starting up the car before speaking up.

"Franklin Jeremiah Barnes" she started, earning a sharp glare from Walter.

"What about him?" Walter muttered.

"He's quite the interesting man don't you think?" Storm inquired as she pulled out of the HCA parking lot.

Silence.

"Over twenty years spent in the military, he earned himself quite the fortune from the body count he amassed over the years that he serviced the Crown" Storm said as she pulled onto the main road.

Silence.

"Imagine, all of that honor and military pride lost after declining the privilege to wed royalty" Storm spoke, only to be met with deafening silence.

"He gave it all up for a mere worthless pe-" she was silenced by a massive hand wrapping around her throat.

Walter clutched her throat, his lifeless eyes seeping with unbridled fury. If he wanted to, he could crush Storm's throat like a flimsy plastic straw, but he didn't, he must've been holding back or otherwise Storm wouldn't have been able to speak up.

"So you are the Captain's boy" she grinned.

Walter glowered at her in silence before pulling his hand away, crossing his arms and shifting his glare forward.

"Cheer up kid, if I'd planned on bullying you the entire time I would be a bigger cunt than I already am" Storm informed him as she rubbed her sore neck.

"Not in a good mood" Walter growled, his narrow eyes still dark with animosity.

"I noticed, will some booze take the edge off?" Storm inquired.

Walter remained silent, raising an inquisitive brow towards Storm before shifting his eyes forward again.

"First you wanted to piss with me now you wanna date me?" Walter hissed.

"I only wanted to confirm whether or not you were his kid or not. It's not everyday that a bloke like you rolls in" Storm retorted.

"I'd only date ya if you can use your tongue as good as my marefriend can" Storm added with a cheeky smirk.

"No" Walter hissed, narrowing his eyes.

"So, will you tell me more about yourself or shall I press on with all the stories I've heard of your father?" Storm inquired, stopping at a red light.

"What exactly do you want to know about me?" he inquired.

"You know, hobbies, interests, topics that aren't exactly all that great but could lead to deeper conversation" Storm explained.

"So what, we're supposed to talk like we're friends?" Walter asked.

"I'm your guardian dip shit, I'm gonna either be your friend or the kind of cunt you need to get your life in order whether you want me to be around or not. It's your choice" Storm retorted.

Walter glanced over at her, slightly surprised. He isn't exactly a stranger to the hard-ass personality types, he just expected ponies to be more... Soft, then again Griffons are biased egomaniacs so relying on them for information is like arguing with a toddler. Walter kept quiet, clicking his tongue and staring out the window. He weighed his options, deciding to select the more easier route for him to take.

"I didn't have much growing up, after my father retired... He took up a collection of books and musical instruments from the palace that he used to educate my sister and I, along with any other neighborhood kid who couldn't afford proper education. Books, music, singing, sports... I guess those can be considered my hobbies" Walter said in a calm voice.

"Good hobbies to have, especially for a kid your age" Storm said, offering a friendly smile.

"You know how old I am?" Walter asked, tilting his head.

"I can see it, more or less, you have a baby face just like my nephew" she explained.

"Oh..." he mumbled, furrowing his brow.

The two continued idle chat for what felt like a half hour or so, stopping by a fast food joint to grab dinner before heading off towards the western housing district owned by the HCA. It's a moderately sized neighborhood used for both temporary and permanent housing for humans adopted into HCA's program. Guardian's are also allowed residency throughout the district, for the convenience of visitation.

Upon arriving to the temporary home, which appears to be occupied already, Walter and Storm exited the chariot with bags of fast food in tow. Storm lead Walter up the walkway, where she proceeded to knock on the front door and step back a few steps.

"Coming~" a young cheery voice called out.

Moments later, a young pegasus mare with a soft white-pink fur coat answered the door. She is dressed in a black tank top and pink sweat pants. She wore her cherry red mane back in a ponytail so her bangs wouldn't get in the way of her bright pink eyes. She smiled brightly upon seeing Storm, launching forward and hugging the taller pegasus by the waist.

"Swift! You're home!" the smaller pegasus cheered, her perky behavior changed however upon seeing Walter standing in the background.

"Swift... There's a giant hairless yeti standing behind you..." the small mare whispered, furrowing her brows quizzically at Walter.

"That's cute coming from a stick of gum" Walter retorted, causing the small mare to let out an exaggerated gasp, pretending to be more offended than she really should.

"It's Gumdrop, not stick of gum!" the mare spat, sticking her tongue out at Walter, who in turn just gave her a deadpan stare.

"Walter, Gumdrop. Gumdrop, Walter. I'm his current guardian, he'll be staying with us for a while until he's found a suitable permanent homestead" Storm explained to the smaller pegasus, petting her on the head.

"He looks meaner than the other humans we took care of" Gumdrop whispered, puffing out her cheeks.

"Don't worry Gummy, he just has a resting bitch face" Storm snorted, earning a scoff from the giant human behind her.

"Are we going to go inside and eat or stand on the porch and take a piss at me?" Walter hissed.

"Right right, lets go in and eat" Storm laughed, walking inside along with Gumdrop, Walter following in behind them while grumbling.

Late at night after dinner and pleasantries were exchanged, Walter made his way to the shower. It was later on that he discovered he'd forgotten his luggage at the HCA headquarters after storming out of Snow Drop's office. Until his luggage can be delivered to the temporary homestead, Walter would have to wear a robe while his clothes are being washed in the laundry room.

While in the shower, Walter stared emptily at the cubic pattern of tile that decorated the shower's interior. His mind wandered, traveling to the depths of his subconscious as soapy suds are cleansed from his body by the endless assault of hot water that shot from the shower head.

As he stared emptily into the shower head, tears began to burn his eyes, mixing with the hot water that rained upon his face. He bit his lip, drawing blood that slowly stained the water by his feet, fury and dread twisting his heart until he could not stand any longer. He fell to his knees, sobbing quietly as he held his sagging posture up by gripping the slick tile walls.

He wanted his father back.

He wanted his sister back.

But just like his mother, he feared the worst had happened. He is alone, at the mercy of ponies who pity him just because he is human.

Unable to think, unable to speak, Walter remained on the floor of the shower while he wept in silence, unaware that one of the other homestead residents were listening closely to his silent meltdown.

Thirty minutes passed until Walter had left the shower clad in a white robe, it was the most refreshing bathing session he has ever had considering all he had growing up was either a river of biting cold water or a tub of scolding hot water. Needless to say that despite the small secretive meltdown he had, he felt more refreshed than before.

He offered a glance towards the window at the end of the hallway, it seemed that day was done at last.

"Guess it's late" Walter muttered to himself before making his way downstairs and through the kitchen towards the laundry room.

The washer had completed its cycle, all that was needed now was to transfer his clothes to the dryer. After putting his damp laundry in the dryer, Walter ventured to the fridge and made himself a glass of cranberry-grape juice mixed with wine. He took his cocktail to the backyard patio where he could stargaze while he enjoyed a late night drink.

"Dad... You asshole" Walter hissed softly, taking a sip from his drink while holding an intense staring contest with the stars above.

"Oh, so it's alright for you to criticize your father but not I?" Storm's voice suddenly came as she leaned out the guest room window on the first floor.

"It's more complicated than that..." Walter muttered, offering a deadpan stare before returning to his stargazing.

Storm sighed, shaking her head as she closed the window and made her way through the house to the backyard patio, opening it and joining Walter outside where she pulled up a seat across from him. Walter continued to try and stargaze, however it was rather difficult to do when Storm's stare was burrowing into his mind.

"Your guest room is ready for you when you feel tired" Storm spoke, her voice much more gentle than before.

"Hmm... Thanks..." Walter mumbled, tapping his index finger on his glass before setting the drink down on the patio table.

An awkward silence held between the two for quite some time, Walter decided to take this as a cue to go to bed. He grabbed his drink, chugging it down before turning on his heels and heading towards the patio door. He was stopped however by Storm's hand firmly grasping his shoulder.

"What do you want?" Walter asked in a slightly frustrated tone, whipping his head around.

He is met with a warm smile and an even warmer gaze. Storm gently turned him around, grasping his much larger hands with her own smaller and softer ones. Walter jumped slightly when the pegasus gently pressed her body into his, her deep emerald eyes locking with his own lifeless brown hues.

He felt his defenses fall slightly as she rested her head on his chest. Walter simply stood there, stunned and confused from this sudden intimacy. It was sincere, and from the way he felt her heart race, this was surprising for the both of them. Storm smiled once she felt Walter's tension fall as his broad shoulders relaxed.

"I'm sorry for judging you so quickly" Storm began as she released his hands and slid her own around his torso to pull herself closer into the embrace.

Silence.

"I figured that since you were from the Griffon Kingdom, you'd be cruel and hard as nails, and I wouldn't be able to get much out of you without being the same way. I must have really hurt you when I spoke so awfully about your father" she said as she gently began rubbing his back.

Silence.

"It didn't take long for me to realize that... You're not the emotionless brute you put yourself out to be... You're much more than that" Storm said as she nuzzled her face against his pecs.

Silence.

"You're still a boy... You're scared, more so for your family than you are for yourself. I did some digging and I found out about your sister and... About your father. I'm sorry I was so insensitive" she whispered.

Silence, with the addition of a soft whimper.

"You've been strong for quite some time, haven't you? You kept strong to try and push others away, to try and prove that you didn't need their help... But in reality, you secretly want their help" Storm hummed as Walter slowly wrapped his arms around her.

"You don't need to be strong anymore, it's okay to rely on others. Rely on me, rely on Gumdrop, rely on any other friend you meet with the HCA. I know that others must only act nice towards you just because you're human, but some of us actually care about your well being, because we all have our demons. None of us are perfect, we're all incomplete pieces to a puzzle, but when we come together we create a masterpiece" Storm says as she listened to the strong beat of his heart pumping within his chest.

Storm decided to remain silent now, to allow them to bask in the intimacy they currently had together.

After what felt like an hour of embrace, Storm and Walter gradually pulled away from one another. Rather than being met with a cold dead stare from the giant human before her, she is met with a tired and miserable gaze. She offers a comforting smile as she reaches up and wipes the tears away from his eyes,

"We're all weak sometimes, it's okay to rely on friends and those you trust" Storm says as she caressed Walter's red and tired visage.

Walter lowered his head, nodding shortly in agreement.

"Come on now big guy, lets go inside and get some rest. You've had a long day, you deserve some good sleep" Storm said as she gently patted him on the chest, beckoning him to follow her inside.

Walter quietly complied, following the pegasus back into the house and to the guest room, where he lied down to rest to get the much needed sleep that he damn well deserved. Storm remained by his side, gently petting him on the head and humming a soft melody. She smiled as she watched the worn and distraught human before her slowly slip off into a deep and welcoming dream.