~+Station: With Tom+~

"Blue?"

Tom looks up from his last report to review to meet Reggie's questionable face. "What's wrong?"

"Uh we've gotten word from the higher ups... Especially from the FBI." He trails looking a bit worried as he holds out the beige folder to his friend. Reggie lets go of it when Tom takes the folder to open and look into. "It seems they want you to do an inside job for them."

"A job request from the higher ups? Well isn't that an understatement, what would they want help from a no face officer like myself?" Tom chuckles as he skima over the papers his friend had given him. So far the words are clear that he is need for a job, an undercover one at that. "Wouldn't it be better to get one of their specially trained spies?"

"They really want you to do this, Tom. I'm not really sure why though." Reggie said dropping his captain's favored title by their team. That's when Tom knew his friend is being serious.

Tom hums as he lightly picks up one of the pages detailing his mission. "What did they do to scare you, Reggie." Obvious this was not a question since his tone had turned sharp. The officer will not stand for people, even if they're his superiors, to threaten his coworkers.

Reggie's looks down to the floor trying not to look at the fire igniting in Tom's eyes. "Blue, please... I do not wish to discuss at the moment." He looks up slightly to be brave. "Please-"

"Reggie," Tom stands up from his seat and cups the side of his trusted friend's face after setting down the file. "Look at me."

Reggie feels he comfort from his friend's actions and listens to him. He looks at Tom this time more clearly now seeing a soft expression with honest concern. Similar to a mother which is how he got his second title. "I'm sorry, Blue." His apology long gone from being held back when he looks at the other man.

"It's fine," Tom brings his hand away from Reggie's cheek and back down to his side. "I'll accept the job, just be sure to tell me sometime when when you get the chance."

Reggie nods with a soft smile of understanding. "Okay."

"Dismissed, now go rest. You're excused for the rest of the day." Tom gets another nod and wished a good day. He sits back down after Reggie leaves with a sigh.

Looking at the open file on his desk, he picks up then job detail and reads it over. The main gist of the job is to go undercover to get inside information of a young uprising leader of a group called the Red Army. The head Leader mainly taking after the name itself, Red Leader.

It seems there is going to be a meeting during a night club in London. Information says they're going to make a deal at a few days from now with another group. The deal from their source says it's about weapons or materials the group needs.

Tom thought, 'Hmm, I wonder why they're asking me to do this?' A highly trained spy would be worth more to gather more than a simple person like himself.

Whatever, Tom shrugs his shoulders and takes a pen from his holder to sign the contract after double checking its context. He'll take the job seeing his superiors need him for the job at the cost of scaring his friend.

Tom took this job as a policeman in the first place because he wants to protect instead of being protected.

~+Later at Night+~

Tom had picked up his two charges who came to him very happily. His ward, Tika very much happy and cheerful as she talked about meeting Bryon and his friends. She spoke of how nice and funny they were while Tomi seemed to express quite a different expression for his trip there.

It seems Tomi came back to him shyly happy as an innocent light blush decorated his cheeks. In short, Tika spoke for him, saying Tomi and Torm really seemed to get a long since they mostly stayed together talking for the rest of the day since he dropped them off. This seemed to trigger his cousin into blushing a bit more.

Tom chuckles as he unlocks the door to his apartment to let them all in. "Alright you two, I'm going to start making dinner. I need you both to change and wash your hands."

"Can I video call Mr. Tord when we're done?"

"Sure Tika, you can use my iPad when you're done." Tom says while slipping his shoes off.

Tomi holds onto Tika's hand as they enter their home further. Both being greeted by Seth happily as he chases after them up the stairs to their shared room.

At first, Tom wasn't sure if Tomi and Tika should share a room. Yet so far there hasn't been any problems so he left the idea trail off as he puts his jacket on the coat rack and keys away on the coffee table.

He rolls his sleeves up and rummages through the fridge to get the ingredients for tonight's dinner. Before pausing in his work. A minutes later he raises his hand to his mouth and gives a hard cough, twice to be exact.

Pulling his hand back he sees two bloody covered flower petals settled on his palm.

Snapdragon- Deception

Tom sets his arm against the close door of the fridge and rests his head. 'I'm so stupid,' He thinks to himself. How could he easily fall into this false sense that everything is okay.

Sure he had connections to his friends again, even Tord who he is trying to avoid to stop his hanahaki disease. It only feels like just the other day he made contact with Tord again for the first time at the museum.

He needs to stop this.

Tom gaze drifts to the drawer nearby. He backs away from the fridge and opens it. Inside is a pamphlet on the surgery for his disease.

'I need to stop this...' He thought, but he's so hesitant to pick it up. 'I need to stop holding on...'

"Mom!"

Tom shuts the drawer close quickly when he hears his cousin call him as he and Tika are running down the stairs. He turns around with a scolding expression, "What did I say about running down the stairs?" His voice firm with his reminder.

"Not to run." The two kids say together with apologetic tones. "Sorry."

Tom rolls his eyes but lets them be. He turns back to the fridge to get dinner prepared while Tika gets Tom's iPad to call Tord. Tomi fits himself beside her while the ringing starts.

Tom hums to himself while he gets the ingredients out of the fridge. Tonight they would have some nice spaghetti to enjoy.

"Hello?"

Tika brightens up and waves at Tord on screen. "Hi Mr. Devil!"

"Ah Tika! I was wondering why Thomas would be calling me." Tord had been confused at first why Tom would be calling him. It would be expected that Tika still wanted to be in contact with him. "And Tomi, it's good to see you again."

"It was just yesterday you saw me, sir." Tomi says smiling at the other man. It was only just yesterday they had just met, but he can't help but find him likable. Not to mention he's seen the way his older cousin looks at this man. So lost in love and to shy to show it or rather admit.

Tord chuckles waving his hand, "Feels like it's been forever to be honest." He looks at them both questionably, "Where's Thomas? Did he leave you both at home the whole day?"

Tomi shakes his head, "Mom's here. He dropped us off at Torm's place this morning before he went to work. Tika and I stayed there until he finished before picking us up."

Silver eyes widen at the mentions of this, if anything he felt a rush of worry wash over him. However, relief took over when he knows Tom is with them now safe in the apartment. He just gets a chilling feeling Tomi and Tika should stay away from a suspicious character like Storm.

So he suggests, "How about you two spend the day with me while Thomas works tomorrow?"

"Really?!" Tika asks excitedly.

"Can we really?!" Tomi asks in the same tone as Tika.

Tord chuckles seeing how excited they are just so they could spend time with him. So he nods in reply, "You just need to convince Witness over there to let you stay over tomorrow until he can pick you up."

The older man watches from his point of view of their camera rush in a floor to the familiar marble flooring of Tom's kitchen. The kids excited voices pleading and begging Tom if they can come stay over with him tomorrow.

Tom takes the iPad from Tika when she hands it over to him to take to Tord. He sets it on the stand so he can keep his hands free to continue making dinner. The two kids running off to play in the living room until dinner's ready.

"Commie, what are they talking about?" He asks while he continues to cut some tomatoes.

"I merely suggested they come stay here at the house until you can come pick them up. They really want to spend time with me you know." Tord says shrugging his shoulders. He leans back in his chair after setting his phone down on the stand so he can continue signing some papers for his work.

"Look Tord, I can't be having Tika moving to different places all the time. My superiors found it from child services her heritage." He hears Tord hum while the two horned hair make continues writing something. "Apparently her mother's brother is the current king of Norway. If they do decided to take her in then she'll be princess and next in line for the throne if her cousin isn't found."

"Ah, so princess really is a princess then." Tord says after stopping his own to look at Tom. "Who knew?"

"I know right, I'm just glad we found her before her uncle did something horrible her." Tom shakes his head trying to shake the thoughts of what could have happened if he didn't notice something off about that house that night. "Anyways, I don't think she should be moving around that much that people will notice her."

"But Thomas, come on, she's gonna be safe with us if Tomi and her come to hangout with us."

Tom stops cutting the tomatoes to look at Tord seriously. "That's just it Tord. She safe for a certain period before one of you three decides to go on some kinda adventures. The adventures we went on, he four of us, have been fun, crazy, and mostly dangerous." He sighs as he looks down to the cut up tomatoes. "Honestly I don't know if can even trust you by yourself to watch them."

There was a pause and silence between them other than the happy chatter between Tomi and Tika in the living room.

"Tom," Tord said calm, "Let me prove to you they'll be safe. I'm sure they're safety means a lot to you but their happiness means more, right?"

Tom tightens his grip on the knife knowing the other is right.

"You have my word when I say I will protect them and return them to you when you come to pick them up. You'll see them smile and laugh, then it'll mean the world to you."

Tom gives a heavy smile and runs his hand through his hair in defeat.

"Fine, but you have to keep an eye on them at all times. This is your only chance, Tord."

Tord nods on screen with an expression Tom can't really interpret that well. However, it seems the norski will keep his promise.

"Do you want me to drive up to pick them up or would you rather drop them off?"

"I'll drop them off." Tom says as he goes off screen for a moment before coming back with the uncooked pasta package.

Again Tord hums in acknowledgement as he goes back to signing his papers.

At a point Tord was left on screen quietly as Tom went about cooking spaghetti for dinner. Soft music plays in be background when Tomi found his cousin's radio by the tv.

The time dinner was made, Tomi and Tika sat at the counter eating their food. They talked to Tord again as they ate while Tom quickly finishes his so he can review the case file his superior gave concerning this morning's job request.

As soon as the plates were cleaned off and washed, Tom usher the the two young ones to bed while Tom ended the call with Tord. Tord merely wished the officer good night before he ended the call to also hit the hay.

Tom cleaned the living room of the throw pillows and offed the radio. Then he goes upstairs to the kids' room to find Tomi already sound asleep while Tika remained awake. A book open on her lap as she hums softly while reading.

"Hey, I thought I said it's time for bed." Tom says in a soft whisper, a fond tone used as he walks to her bed.

Tika looks up from her book and smiles at her guardian. "I'm not sleepy yet."

Tom sat on the side of her bed and picks up Tika's book. A simple fairytale book about a prince and a princess. "You love fairytales, don't you?"

"They were my only company when I stayed with my uncle..." Tika tells him as she remembers the day she stayed locked in her room. She was just lucky her room was filled with different kinds of books to keep her occupied and entertained. "In a way I guess it makes me a dreamer. I got saved by a knight accompanied by a monster."

Tom chuckles softly, "What Knight would have a monster as company? They both fight each other because both think each other as evil."

The young girl merely shakes her head as she denies Tom. "Not all the time, they can fall in love."

"Oh?" Tom says rather curious. "Just how would that be my dear?"

She hums as she taps her cheek. "They become friends first... and then they slowly fall in love." Tika smiles as she lets her sleeping guard dog. "They don't know it at first but when they do they deny it. They believe they cannot love each other because of what other people believe of the norm. It breaks their friendship... when they learned they never really could be friends."

Tom listens as he flips a page in Tika's book. A picture of a knight holding his sword in front of him towards the dragon in challenge.

"They try to forget each other but they can't help but notice how much they yearn for each other. They both feel empty, the knight and his monster." Tika leans back comfortably on her pillow. "But when someone comes to take away the one they love with affection, one of them can't help but try to do something to get them back or leave to avoid hurt."

Tom felt a familiar tickle in his throat. Again he ignore in until he finishes hearing Tika's reason.

"In the end, I'm sure they'll come back together because nothing is more stronger than love and the bonds those two hold."

Tom sighs as he strokes her head while she smiles so obliviously. "That's some smart reasoning my dear. Those books are really expanding your vocabulary and opening your mind as a ten year old." He said knowing what he said is true. The girl is really intelligent for her age.

Then he frowns a little when he remembers he has to talk to her about her family. So he starts off, "Tika, I think this is actually a good time to talk to you about something important. It's has to do with your family, you know you have to eventually return home to relatives."

Tika expression is sadden by the change of topic, the one she wants to avoid. "But I wanna stay with you..."

"I believe you do but I am but a simple man who cannot give you much my dear." He pats her head in comfort. He knows he is only a simple police officer who could provide temporary assistance, never the long term. "You're family can give you more than I can."

"I need nothing more than a person who can care and love for me." Tika says clutching her blanket.

Tom closes his eyes for a moment before opening them. "Tika... Your mother was the former princess of the previous Royal Family in Norway. Her brother, the current King was sent a message to about you. If they decide to take you in you'll be princess and possible the one to take the throne if your cousin cannot be found."

After the information given to her Tika looks at him sadly as her position sinks in on this debate. "If I have to go... will you at least come visit me when I ask?"

"I will try my best my dear but I cannot guarantee I will be able to go all the time. Planes tickets are expensive you know." Tom tells her with a hopeful smile. He stands up from the bed and pulls the blanket up to tuck her in. "I think it's best for you to sleep now. You have an exciting day tomorrow ahead of you."

Tika nods and snuggles under her covers. She looks at Tom before he leans down to kiss her on the forehead.

"Goodnight my dear, sweet dreams."

"Goodnight Tom."

Tom then turns away to do the same to his little cousin, kissing him goodnight on the forehead. Finally he leaves the room and closes the door behind him quietly.

As much as he would hate to see the young girl leave, she needs to be with her family.

Tom walks away from the door humming a lulling tune that enclose through the apartment until he's safe behind his bedroom door.

That's when he handles his flowers.

~+Morning: Edd's House+~

Tord was met with Tom and the two kids at the door exactly at 9:30 in the morning. He had one of his usual grins while Tom sported his usual unamused expression.

"Morning Tomi, Princess."

"Good Morning!" The two kids say back happy with grins.

Tord moves aside to let the two into the house to greet Matt and Edd in the kitchen. Tom and Tord standing at the door left with each other.

"I should be back before seven. If anything happens, call me on my cell phone immediately."

"Sure thing Captain Witness." Tord says mockingly as he gives mock salute as well.

Tom gives him one last look with a squinted gaze before he turns his back to the Norwegian man as he leaves for his car.

Tord merely sighs as he turns around to face the music once Tom's out of sight and the door's closed behind him.

~+Police Station+~

When Tom got to the station he was greeted by Reggie and Zack per usual but they seemed a bit hesitant.

"What's wrong you two?" Tom asks as he walks pass them to sit behind his desk.

They both turn around to face their captain as he took his seat.

"We have you're first assignment for that job request you're doing." Reggie bent down and picked up the medium sized box package by his feet. He placed it on the desk in front of Tom. "They said you'll need these."

Tom took a letter opener and opened the package. Only to be surprised with what is inside. "Oh they can't be serious..."

Zack peels into the package and picks up a plastic package containing a wig with Tom's hair color while Reggie picks up a costume, a rather sexual one at that.

"Wow Blue, why would they want you to wear this?" Zack questions with obvious disgust that their caption has to do something containing this.

Tom pulled the envelop attached to the package and opens it up to pull its contents. He skims the paper he got and sighs heavily.

"Apparently, the job requires I go undercover. My superiors got consent from the owner of the club if I do work. They tried to get me a job at the bar but they said they have too many bartenders already."

Reggie looks skeptical, "So they want you too..."

"Disguise as a stripper."