Adi and Otis sat on the couch, enjoying their morning coffee in each other's arms. Adi gently stroked Otis's hair, and he leaned into the loving touches.
Maggie scowled. He had never let her touch him like that. EVER.
Since Adi had made Otis cut down on his drinking, the seizures had subsided. If she was a betting woman, she would have bet any money that they had also been brought on by the stress of losing her, as he assumed he had.
"I love you, babygirl." He murmured.
"I love you, handsome." She kissed his cheek.
Maggie gagged, scowling.
Unfortunately, her display of disgust was not well-received by Adoria. She expected her to just shrug it off and ignore it with a glare, like she knew Otis would. As she felt her eyes bulge out of her head as Adi tightened her grip around her throat, she knew better.
Otis simply sat, eyes wide but pretending he wasn't shocked, sipping his coffee.
Thank God for mother Firefly, who pulled Adi off of her just as her world was starting to go black.
"Adi, what's gotten into you!?" She scolded.
"I've had enough of her! Do you know what she tried to do to Otis?!"
"ADI." Otis barked sharply.
"Shut the fuck up, Otis. She tried to RAPE you!"
Mother Firefly sputtered for a few moments, one of the rare times Adi had ever seen her speechless, before she walked away. "You sort this one out, Otis."
"Yep. I've got it." He sighed. "Adi, just ignore it. Come on." He held his arms out for an embrace, and she obeyed- but not before she threateningly lurched at Maggie. "Come here, my little guard dog." He buried his face in her hair, nuzzling her and smiling.
"Otis...I...I'm ready to talk."
He pulled away, balking. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
Within minutes, everyone was gathered in the living room, Adi standing in the middle. Otis sat on the edge of his seat, eyes begging to let him comfort her, but she wouldn't let him. She needed to do this alone.
"So...What happened was I...I went fishing alone one night after a shift to try and surprise Otis. And I was stupid and not careful and I had an accident. I got swept up in the current and hit my head. I almost drowned. But...Someone came to save me. Uhm...So I spent a few months there recovering and...Then things took a turn." She hesitated, glancing at Otis. She couldn't hold his gaze for too long. She knew this would hurt him and she didn't want to see his face.
"What happened, baby...?" He whispered.
"Cutter...Cutter was who saved me. and...I would be extremely grateful if it weren't for the fact that he tried to convince me to be with him and leave you."
She closed her eyes, unwilling to see the hurt, anger and utter anguish that she knew would be in her husband's eyes.
"He treated me well. He didn't hurt me. But he kept me hostage. Trying to convince me that he was the bigger, better man like he's always done. I always thought his threats were idle, but I guess they weren't, entirely..."
Venturing her eyes open, she was relieved to see that Otis had covered his face with his hands, hanging his head. The room was silent- a very, very rare occassion in the Firefly household.
"I know...That he's a part of this family and I don't want to jeopardize that, but I want you to know the truth of what happened. Do...What you want with that information."
"Adi..." Otis spoke, face still covered. "Did...Did he..."
"No. He didn't make me have sex with him. He kissed me a few times, but that was as far as he got before I escaped. I think that was his next step, though."
"I...I think uhm...We should give them some time alone..." Baby suggested, ushering the rest of the family out of the living room, leaving Adi and Otis.
"Honey...talk to me. Tell me what you're thinking." She asked, stroking Otis's back.
"He came to your funeral..."
"I...I know..."
"He came to your funeral and he bought this big, beautiful bouquet of flowers for you...And I cried because I knew you would love them. And he comforted me...A...I..."
"Honey-"
"He comforted me, knowing he was the reason that I was in so much pain. I...It was his fault that I was in so. Much. Pain. He...He cried with us...And he fucking knew...that you were alive and you were okay but he..."
She simply sat with him, letting him work through his thoughts.
"It was my fault...He only did this to get back at me..."
"Honey it's not your fault-"
"If I hadn't tried to take head of the family all those years before..."
"No, you already received your punishment. He raped you for that. Otis-"
"It's my fault. It was my fault he took you."
"Otis, stop. Look at me." She pulled his face up to look her in the eye. "It was not your fault and it will never be your fault. He didn't HAVE to do that. He didn't HAVE to take me. He could have been a decent person. But he wasn't."
"But-"
"No."
He stared at her for a moment, processing everything. "I don't know what to do..."
"Me." She smiled, kissing him.
He chuckled. "Of course, you. But I meant-"
"You don't have to do anything. just...enjoy me now that I'm home. Okay?"
"I think I can do that."
Adi smiled, crawling into Otis's lap and straddling him, squishing his cheeks in her hands. "I LOVE YOU!"
The deadpan look he gave her showed he wasn't nearly as amused as she was. "I love you too, Adi..."
Her smile softened and she leaned in slowly to give him a sweet, tender kiss. She felt his hands wrap around her, settling in the small of her back. Goosebumps rose on her skin; she loved it when he touched her there.
"Mm...Do you know how much I love you?" He murmured, pulling her closer and pressing there foreheads together.
"Enough to trust me enough to tell me everything that happened to you." She tucked a strand of hair behind his ear as he chuckled.
"Well, yeah..."
"Enough to let all of your walls down and let me in. Totally. Completely."
"Mm-hm." He left another peck on her lips.
"Enough to marry me."
"More than that, baby girl." He pulled her face against his once more. "So much more than that..."
Maggie's heart ached and shattered as she watched them. They were absolutely beautiful together. They were perfect. But God, did she want him to look at her that way.
