Somewhere deep within Slade’s mind, a part that never stopped calculating, a part that never truly slept, acknowledged that it would seem odd on the surface that the room wasn’t bugged. But the headmistress knew him, thus she likely knew that searching his room for bugs would be the very first thing he did. And upon finding those bugs, how long until he had a backdoor into the school’s systems?

No, there wouldn’t be any bugs in his room, not to start. But he would have to check regularly. Because one day the risk rewards of them being there would swing out of his favor. And as much as he was given shelter here, he was far from willing to consider this place home.

But none of that was the focus of his thoughts, just the ‘Terminator’ that always lingered within.

His focus was on Jinny, resolutely on his daughter. “For such an honor” He would reply softly. “Never.” He wasn’t crying, his self-control was far to total for that to happen, but his eyes were unmistakably misty. As he slowly, carefully, reached out to bring Jinny in for a hug. Slowly because he knew the type of reflexes she had, he had taught them to her after all. Carefully, because she was precious to him in a way that was difficult to put into words. 

“I know that I will never replace your father” Slade would say after a few moments of the embrace, His voice still soft and almost reverent. He was also speaking from experience, the loss of his son’s. Of having them torn away from him as they had been. Such an event brands them into one’s being, never to truly be displaced. “But I am honored to be seated alongside him within your thoughts.”

It was effortless to treat her as his family. They both had lost a fundamental part of themselves to the darkness of the criminal underworld after all. But he never wanted to presume that she would look at him and see family just as easily. Quietly, silently, hoped? Yes, but never would he put that pressure on her. Not before when he was first getting used to this second chance, and not when things had settled.

Because she had saved him from himself.

Slade would have liked to stay within the moment for longer. But he was far too practical of a man to allow that sadly. So he would speak sooner rather than later “How do you want to handle this?” He would ask. Legally speaking they were already family, but few people in the know knew that. He himself had always been frightfully proud of his family, and even the dangers that brought couldn’t dull that aspect of who he was.

But it was Jinny who would be most affected by that here at the Academy. So he would let her set the course. And plan his countermeasures accordingly. He just hoped that he wouldn’t need more bullets than he had brought.