When a Great Man Leaves
Duke Crocker sat on his boat, a cup of scotch in his hand. His tired eyes scanned the horizon, his breath visible in little clouds of smoke. He hated Haven winters. All they brought were cold days and confusions. The only bright spot was that the Troubles were, temporarily, tamed. For some reason the cold weather ebbed the Troubles, kept them in check.
Duke looked at his hands and then ran his fingers through his hair. His Trouble wasn't gone, but it wasn't acting out either. He could still feel his heart speed up, feel the blood rush through his veins, feel the power rush to his hands. He scoffed quietly and threw back his drink, the molten liquid pouring out of the glass.
He stood up and started walking around. His boat was cold and covered in frost. The Haven shoreline was blocked by fog. All of the other Haven residents would be in their houses, curled up on couches in front of a fireplace, or sharing cheery laughs at the coffee shop. Duke had never wanted that kind of life. His life was simple, quiet, good. He loved the boat he stood on and all the memories it held. This was his place.
He crossed the deck and went into the kitchen, pouring himself another drink. He crossed his arms and stared at the picture Dwight had given him last spring. The photo contained the faces of Nathan and Audrey, smiling together, his arm around her waist. Duke was off to the side, his mouth pushed into his signature half-smirk, his eyes lingering on something the camera hadn't captured. Dwight had taken the picture and had it printed up trifold. Duke remembered that day. It was Nathan's birthday and Duke had helped Audrey plan a party for him. That was three months before Audrey died.
After Audrey died, Nathan lost all sanity. He kept on believing that she would come back, that this was just another Lexie/Mara thing. He was getting better now, but he still wasn't completely over it. Dwight was much better at coping, but he was used to loss. He also wasn't as attached to Audrey as Nathan and Duke were. He admired and cared for her, sure, but he never truly loved her. Duke had always known that Audrey was going to die, but he had imagined that it would be by his hand. When he got Dwight's call, he felt frozen inside, like his organs had turned to ice. The funeral flashed by, as did the next four months.
Now Duke stood cold and alone looking at a picture of his two best friends, one dead, the other insane. The only reason Duke had returned to Haven was because he had made his father a promise, a promise that he know felt had been fulfilled. He had said goodbye to Audrey and he knew that Nathan would never be well enough to remember anything other than Audrey. This town, or the people in it, wouldn't miss or remember him. He didn't matter. He was just a guy who drank too much and sat at his bar alone.
Duke shuffled to the captain's nest and started the old boat. He slowly pulled away from the dock and stared at the town that had been his home for thirty-six years. It had given him great memories and horrible scars, but it was a place engraved in his heart. As he headed out into the bay he muttered one last "I hate this town" and smiled secretly to himself. While he may have never felt needed or in any way important, his town and the people in it would remember the great man who taught them the importance of smiling in bad situations and always reaching for the light.