Everything That Glitters Part 2

"Wow, everyone's going, huh?" Dashiell glances down the sidewalk at his whole family ranging out behind Shannon and him as they head for the subway. His eyes land on Ellery and he elbows her. "When did you turn into a baseball fan?"

"Everyone else was going," she says, rolling her eyes at him. Mom is right at her side; he thinks the two of them must have been talking ever since breakfast the way they're buddied up. "And who says I don't like baseball?"

Shannon takes his hand and squeezes; he looks at her. "Don't mess with Ellery. Everyone's trying to be nice to you because tomorrow is Match Day. That's why she's coming."

"Oh, right. Yeah. That makes more sense."

His father comes up on his other side and hands him and Shannon the last of the tickets. "Here you go. Okay, so when we get inside, keep close because I want to pay for everyone's food."

"Dad," he starts.

"No arguments. Let your old man buy your ballpark hot dog and beer."

"I'm getting sushi."

"Heathen," his mother mutters.

He grins back at her, wriggling an eyebrow. "Papa started it."

"He and I need to have words," she growls, and then his mother drops back to find her own father and - wow - are they really having words over his love of ballpark sushi? Papa is talking with her and Ellery now, and Dash is pleased to see how much they're together, relaxed - fixing things, he thinks.

Dad claps a hand at his shoulder. "Sushi, hot dog, doesn't matter. Shannon, you hear me?"

"I hear you," she surrenders.

"Excellent. I'm gonna pass the word. You guys lead the way."

Dash keeps his hand in Shannon's and laughs a little. "I told you my family was crazy."

"Not crazier than mine," she grins back.

"True. But see, your family is actually crazy. Like - certifiably. They have diagnoses and everything."

"Means I win," she says, nudging his hip with their joined hands. "Hey, I've got your subway pass with mine."

"Oh, good. I looked for it before we left but forgot I didn't find it."

She laughs and shakes her head at him, the curls of her hair falling in her eyes. He loves to wrap one of those loose curls around his finger, loves the smell of her shampoo and the softness against his face when he comes close. Loves that her own issues - her family, her upbringing - they don't get the better of her. And she hasn't just overcome it all - she's used it. She makes it work for her.

She makes it work for them.

"So where you hiding my subway pass?" he asks, smirking over at her. He slides his hand into her back pocket and she gasps and grabs him by the wrist, jerking him away. "What?" he laughs. "You usually like it when I go digging in your pants-"

"Dashiell," she squeaks, laughing again. "It's in my other pocket. With mine."

He grins and darts in for her other pocket; she lets him this time, wriggling a little closer, and he grips her and tugs her against his side. Dash dips his head down to kiss her cheek, murmuring hotly at her ear.

"I like mine with yours, rubbing up against each other in your pocket. So close."

"You have a dirty mouth," she mutters, but she angles her head and kisses him hard, teeth clashing with his. He loves that too.

She breaks away from him, and he takes his subway card as he goes, smiling at her for it too. Shannon's blushing and slipping back to talk to Sophie, waving him on, so he's the one who ends up leading them underground towards the subway.

But it's his sister who steps onto the first car with him, the two of them standing together, Ellery as tall as their mother and just as fierce.

"Ellie," he says quietly, watching her, studying her.

She turns to him even as the others file on after them, crowding the car, talking and laughing, Rafe holding Dani's hand, Mia being hustled in even though she's got an aversion to the subway, Nick and their father talking together, Papa and Mom and Allie debating something, Dad and Shannon whispering together - their whole, noisy, boisterous, amazing family.

"Thanks for coming," he says then, and he can't smile. He can't. It aches, all of them together finally. It feels a little desperate. He knows he's been fighting that desperation for a year - all year - because of tomorrow.

He'll have to leave all this and he can't - he doesn't know how he'll make it without them. His family. These people who love him and know him and think it's okay to be the weird guy he is, can't help being. He's adapted, but he still needs that hard, strong squeeze every once in a while, and who will be there?

Ellery doesn't smile back at him but her face changes. And suddenly her eyes look like Dad's. They've always been blue - his color - but never before has Dash seen Ella look at him like Dad looks at him.

As she moves closer in the subway car, the engagement ring flashes in the overhead lights - their mother's and then Allie's after her - and Ella seems the most content, the most at peace that he's ever seen her.

She's always been strong. He just didn't realize she could also be soft.

"Big brother," she says and her hand goes to him, reaches around his arm and holds on like he's her solid ground. "Dashiell. I will always come for you."

Unspoken is the rest of it. New Mexico, Iowa City, wherever he gets placed. Just as Dash was the one that bridged the distance between Ellery and their family here, Ella can be that for him.

Only she'll probably show up in person. She's like that.

It gives him what he needs to smile. And really mean it.

"You look happy," Shannon says, nudging him softly as they stand in line.

"Yeah," he grins back, wrapping his fingers around her wrist and squeezing.

"Ew, stop," Dani mutters behind them. "All lovey and gross."

"Shut up, sushi girl," Dashiell laughs back, hooking his arm around his niece and dragging her into his side. "I've got Dad's credit card, so you have to be nice to me. Or you get nothing."

"I'll just go tell on you," she says back, muffled by her face planted in his shirt. She struggles against him for a minute and then finally gives up. So he lets her go.

Shannon has taken his hand and her fingers play against his knuckles. "Don't worry, Dani. I'll cover you if Dash decides to be mean."

"Not mean, just retribution. Doling out a fair punishment."

"You're not the cop," Dani huffs, knocking her head into him where she's still up close. He remembers Dani being this squawking, furious thing when she was a newborn. He and Ellery would tag along with Mom and Grams to Allie and Rafe's place to help out for the first few weeks, mostly to watch Sophie and keep her out of Allie's hair, but Ella and Sophie went off together and he didn't want to be stuck with them.

So Dash had Dani; he was the one who sat on the couch and held Dani in his lap while Mom hovered over him to make sure he didn't break her. But how could he break her? She was so angry and strong and active.

Mom kept saying, You were a lot like this as a baby - but you never slept.

Dani's always been his.

"Hey, move up. It's your turn," Dani says petulantly, shoving into him. Dash grins and steps up to the register to order his ballpark sushi, but he draws his arm back and gathers Dani to him, keeps her at his side. Prickly, book-absorbed, talks-too-much, dark Dani.

His favorite.

Shannon, on his other side, is laughing softly at him and smoothing her thumb along his even though she knows what that does to him, how it makes his whole nervous system amp up. It's not like he needs that right now, in this crowd, but it does make him extra aware of her. Of how real she is, how with him.

"You guys on the same order?" The attendant is looking at them with that can we hurry this along blankness to his eyes and Dash gets himself back in the game.

"We're all together," he tells the man.