S01E13 - Stay
"Stay" is the thirteenth episode of Season 1 of We Can Fix Pawbert.
Synopsis
Pawbert reveals the full story of Soren, his first love—a fellow lynx whom Milton discovered and made "disappear." During a late-night conversation, Pawbert confesses that all he wants is for someone to stay. Luther promises he is staying.
Plot
Pawbert lies awake at Site Two, unable to sleep. The heist trophy catches moonlight on his nightstand, and the corkboard above displays the recipe card, Maddie's card, and Charles's napkin—evidence of kindness from strangers. But tonight, the past has teeth. Memory pulls him back eleven years to the library of Lynxley Manor.
In flashback, fourteen-year-old Pawbert stands near the poetry section with Soren, a fellow lynx a year older. Soren's family were minor gentry—connected enough to be invited to Milton's functions, not powerful enough to matter. Pawbert tells Soren he's beautiful; the words slip out before he can stop them. Instead of disgust, Soren smiles and asks him to say it again. The moment is tender and fragile—two young lynxes discovering that wanting something isn't wrong.
Milton finds them. His expression is perfectly controlled, which is how Pawbert knows it's bad. In Milton's study, he demands to know what Soren is to Pawbert. When Pawbert says "a friend," Milton doesn't believe him. He calls Pawbert's feelings an "aberration" and declares him broken, threatening to "fix" him if Pawbert doesn't fix himself first. Two days later, Soren stops answering calls. Within a month, his name stops being spoken in any house the Lynxleys visit. When Pawbert asks his father what happened, Milton's only response is the family motto: "Clear skies, son."
In the present, at three in the morning, Pawbert finds Luther awake in the main room with a military history book—waiting, though he wouldn't admit it. Pawbert tells Luther the full story for the first time: not just the facts he mentioned after Mosaic, but what it felt like. He describes the three months of secret meetings, the poetry Soren brought him, being told he was beautiful by someone who meant it. He describes Milton's cruelty, the disappearance, the uncertainty that haunts him still—not knowing whether to mourn because he doesn't know if Soren is dead or escaped.
Luther listens without interrupting. He tells Pawbert that the people who taught him he was broken were wrong. When Pawbert asks how he stops hearing his father's voice in his head every time he wants something, Luther tells him he doesn't—not right away. He learns to talk back. To say "that's not true" until he believes it.
Luther asks what Pawbert actually wants—not what his father wanted, not what he thinks he should want. Pawbert admits he wants to be loved without conditions, without having to earn it every day. He wants someone to stay. Luther's answer is simple: "Okay. I'm staying." Pawbert's walls finally break. He asks Luther to hold him, and Luther does—solid, present, unhurried. They remain there through the night.
At dawn, they're still on the couch, neither having moved for hours. Luther's arms are stiff from holding the same position, but he hasn't complained. Pawbert thanks him for staying, for listening, for not calling him dramatic. Luther tells him he's processing twenty years of trauma in a single night—that's supposed to be hard. He references what Jake said at Precinct 99 about them being a pack. Pawbert admits he's never had that, a group that stays. Luther tells him he does now.
Nick and Judy find them exhausted at the kitchen table the next morning. Nick pours coffee for everyone. Nobody asks questions, but the silence is understanding rather than uncomfortable. That evening, on the porch under emerging stars, Pawbert tells Luther he's never spoken the full story aloud before—saying it made it real, and if it was real, he couldn't pretend he was okay. Luther affirms that Pawbert isn't broken and never was. Pawbert leans closer until their shoulders touch.
In the tag, Pawbert looks at his collection in his room: the mother's photo, the sweater on the chair, the recipe card, Maddie's card, Charles's napkin, the heist trophy. Evidence that love exists. That people stay. He adds nothing tonight, but he considers that Luther might become part of this collection—not an object, but a presence. Someone who stayed through the worst night. Someone who might keep staying.
Key Moments
- Flashback reveals Pawbert's secret relationship with Soren at age fourteen
- Milton discovers them and calls Pawbert's feelings an aberration
- Milton threatens to "fix" Pawbert if he doesn't fix himself
- Soren vanishes—fate never confirmed
- Pawbert reveals the full story to Luther at three in the morning
- Luther promises to stay
- Luther holds Pawbert through the entire night
- Luther affirms that Pawbert was never broken
- The pack concept is acknowledged between Luther and Pawbert
- Physical intimacy begins (holding, comfort)
Key Lines
| Line | Speaker | Context |
|---|---|---|
| "He called my feelings an 'aberration.' Threatened to 'fix' me." | Pawbert | Describing Milton's reaction to Soren |
| "Clear skies, son." | Milton (flashback) | Dismissive response when asked about Soren's fate |
| "The people who taught you that were wrong." | Luther | Challenging Pawbert's internalized shame |
| "All I want is to be loved unconditionally. For someone to stay." | Pawbert | Core vulnerability |
| "Okay. I'm staying." | Luther | Promise to Pawbert |
| "I've never had that. A pack. A... group that stays." / "You do now." | Pawbert / Luther | Pack bond acknowledged |
| "Evidence that love exists. That people stay." | Narration | Episode's thematic statement |
Characters Introduced
| Character | Species | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Soren | Lynx | Pawbert's first love (flashback only) |
Locations
- Site Two -- Pawbert's room, main floor, kitchen, porch
- Lynxley Manor library (flashback) -- Where Pawbert and Soren met secretly
- Milton's study (flashback) -- Where Milton confronts Pawbert
Items
- Heist trophy - Catches moonlight on Pawbert's nightstand
- Mother's recipe card - Pinned to corkboard
- Maddie's card - Pinned to corkboard
- Charles's napkin - Pinned to corkboard
- Green sweater - Draped over chair in Pawbert's room
- Mother's photo - On nightstand
End Credit Song
"Not While I'm Around" (From 'Sweeney Todd'), Len Cariou & Angela Lansbury
"Not While I'm Around" is a song of fierce, protective devotion—a promise that nothing will harm someone so long as the singer is there to guard them. This choice resonates powerfully with the episode's central revelation: Pawbert finally sharing the full story of Soren, his first love who "disappeared" after Milton discovered their relationship. When he admits to Luther, "I want someone to stay," and Luther responds, "Okay. I'm staying," the promise echoes the song's core vow. The recording by Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury, with its tender, almost parental quality, captures the protective intimacy of Luther holding Pawbert through the worst night of his memories. It is a promise made in darkness, and it holds.
Notes
- This episode marks the transition of Luther and Pawbert's relationship from professional to personal.
- The word "stay" becomes one of the series' most loaded terms, recurring across all five seasons.