A\N: IRL, abusers apologizing does not happen often or without an ulterior motive behind it. But this is PR world, and PR has happy endings-so here's what one looks like, or at least the start of one. Thanks for reading!

There was a knock on the door. Tommy opened it. Anton was on the other side. Tommy shut it.

Anton slid his foot into the doorway. "Tommy. Please. I just want to talk to him."

"Really?" Tommy yanked the door open, and for now, he was furious. "Talk? Like when you told him he was insane after he saw the invisiportals? Or when you implied you were dying every time he wanted to have a life of his own? Or whatever the hell you did to make him so scared of someone mad at him he barely ever disagrees with anyone? Is that what you want to do?"

Anton, to his credit, didn't flinch in the face of Tommy's wrath. "I wanted to explain myself. And…apologize. To both of you."

That was new. Tommy was wary of it, but it was new. New enough, and after enough trauma, so that it might be for real. Tommy weighed the abuse Anton had doled out against the love Trent had for his father, however warped it was, and then sighed. "I stay in the room." He warned. "And you try to hurt him, and I kick you out on your ass."

"Of course." Anton agreed.

"Dad?" Trent asked from the hallway. Tommy vaguely wondered how long he'd been there.

"Son." Anton said, smiling carefully, as if he didn't quite remember how to. "I…can I come in?" He looked up at Tommy.

With a minimum of grace, Tommy moved. Then he shut the door.