Luke had learned something across worlds, families, and lifetimes:
Money didn't fix people.
But stability fixed choices.
So he built the shield.
Not walls—paths.
Fiona
Fiona never asked.
That was the problem.
She carried responsibility like a debt she could never finish paying.
Luke funded her business the same way he bought the house—quietly, completely.
A line of credit with no interest.
Startup capital that didn't come with control.
A safety net she never had growing up.
"This isn't a leash," Luke told her when she confronted him, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
"It's a floor."
Fiona swallowed.
Then punched his shoulder lightly.
"Asshole," she said, voice shaking. "You always do this."
She hugged him anyway.
Harder than before.
Ian
Ian's path had always been about care—even when he didn't know how to care for himself.
Luke paid the tuition outright.
Specialized nursing degree.
Psychiatric focus.
Long-term support structures in place.
No pressure.
No debt.
No cliff edge.
Ian stared at the acceptance letter like it might vanish.
"You serious?" he asked.
Luke nodded.
"You already save people," he said. "Now you'll get paid to do it without destroying yourself."
Ian smiled.
Not manic.
Not forced.
Just real.
Carl
Carl didn't need money.
He needed direction.
Luke set him up in real estate—not as a landlord tyrant, but as a fixer.
Renovations.
Community rehabs.
Legitimate ownership.
"Wait," Carl said. "So I still get to kick down walls?"
"Legally," Luke replied.
Carl grinned.
"Hell yeah."
Debbie and Liam
Debbie received something better than cash—options.
Education funds.
Business mentorship.
No desperation-driven decisions.
Liam's future was already mapped—schools, tutors, freedom to choose.
No hunger.
No chaos tax.
Just space.
The Shield Complete
System Update:
Wish #2 — "Ensure All Siblings Achieve Stability"
Status: COMPLETE
Socioeconomic Tier: Middle Class or Above (All Units)
Generational Collapse Risk: ELIMINATED
Narrative Integrity:
Affection replaces survival instinct.
Affection
They didn't say it often.
They didn't need to.
It was in the way Fiona checked on Luke's meals.
In Carl calling him first when things got weird.
In Ian texting updates from class.
In Debbie asking advice instead of hiding mistakes.
Luke didn't hover.
He stood behind them.
A shield didn't block the world.
It absorbed the worst of it—so others could grow.
And for the first time in any world—
Luke Gallagher didn't feel like a survivor.
He felt like family.