He takes his beer and sits down on the couch next to me. We stare at the football game silently for minutes. I usually love silence, but a fight is starting to look more appealing than this stupid game.

"They fired you, didn't they?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah," he says like it's no big deal. What is he going to do now? Work at the Crashdown as a waiter? Pump gas?

"I don't believe it." He gives me a questioning look. I guess I'm the only one who can see how screwed up our lives our becoming. I don't even recognize it anymore. I don't know this life. "Why do you keep helping them when all they do is get you into trouble? Why?" I yell. I want to know. I want to know why he'd constantly risk putting our family in danger.

"They helped me," he says like it's the most obvious answer. "They saved you, Kyle. Or have you forgotten that Max Evans risked his life to save your own?"

Of course I'm thankful. I am. But how long do I have to be thankful for before they get us killed?

"Yeah, once. Once, dad," I say pointedly, raising my index finger in the air. "And you saved their asses more than once. Deal over."

"It doesn't work that way, Kyle." I know the tone in his voice. There's no changing his mind now, but I can't help trying. God, they got him fired and he still thinks he owes them something.

"Why not?" It looks like a fair deal to me. You save our life, we save yours, you screw up our life, your screw up our life, you screw up our life.

"'Cause they're just like you and me, Kyle. Granted they have powers, they're just as human as you and me. They feel pain and fear and they need help to escape from it."

He sips his beer calmly. He's so okay with everything; it's driving me nuts. I feel like I'm gonna explode. I think I'm the one who needs a beer. When did he come to trust them so open-heartedly? It feels like just days ago he was chasing after them at the carnival or whatnot and now he's stopping other people from chasing after them. Them. The princess, the weirdo, and the 'I'm so holy' guy. I realize I've forgotten Tess, but it doesn't feel like she belongs it that lineup. She's...ack, too confusing.

"Why do you hate them so much?" he asks out of nowhere. There's that word again. Them. That annoying pronoun.

"I do not," I reply a little too defensively.

"Yes, you do. You despise them. It's in your eyes," he says, "not to mention your words." I wonder what else he can see in my eyes. "Why?" he asks again.

If he really wants to know, I'll tell him. I'll him tell till I'm yelling.

"Because before them, I used to be able to hang out with my friends without being teased about hanging out with the Evans duo or becoming a Scooby as if I'm living an episode of 'Buffy.' Or maybe it's the fact that Max Evans just came out of nowhere," my voice begins to rise, "and swept Liz away and he did it ag...never mind." I pause at my mistake. He starts to stare at me so I continue. "They come in with their holier than thou attitude and cause chaos in my somewhat serene life."

"And Tess?" he asks curiously. Where did that come from? Oh God.

"What about her?" I fold my arms over my chest as if it'll stop the beating.

"Do you hate her?" Hate her? I can't believe I'm hearing this kind of a question related towards Tess. Sometimes I wish I did. I really do. It'd make things so much easier.

"No, no, of course not. Tess is like...well, a sister." Oh God, a sister. Holy shit, I think I'm in love with my sister. "She cooks and that is indispensable."

He chuckles. "We'll it's not official or anything so she's not exactly your adopted sister or whatever." I hope he doesn't see me relax, but I do. It's makes this whole thing that much more uncompleted, but not nearly enough. She's still an alien. She's still...her and there's been a "her" before.

"Maybe if we did adopt her, we could get her a tag that says, 'Property of Valenti family. If abducted, please return'," I joke. I would want her back though. A lot.

"I think we're the ones who'd need a tag," he says through a laugh.

It's such a sharp contrast compared to the sad face he came in with. I'm reminded of how broken our family was when mom left. Dad didn't know what to tell me or even what to make for dinner. Once he turned all my underwear pink when he didn't separate the colors. We didn't have any semblance of a life. Everything was such a mess those first few months.

But he had his job. He had a means of money and a place he could go to that he loved. Whenever I visited him at work, he was always so much happier. At home, I guess the memories would eat away at him. But at work, he was doing what he loved. He was helping people. Maybe that's what this is all about. He loves his job. He loves to save people and the aliens need saving more than any of us. He has no means of doing it now. He has no job. It was his second passion and now it's gone. Where will he go now when he's sad?

"So what now?" I ask worriedly. I honestly have no clue.

"The post game show," he says watching the TV.

"No, I mean our family."

He looks at me thoughtfully before replying, "We continue being a family. I stay your dad. You continue to be my son. And you and Tess continue to be...whatever it is that you two are."