There was a certain routine that he did every day since he began working on the ship. Wake up, shower, wake the girls up, cook breakfast, clean the section of the ship that needed to be cleaned that day, mine for profit underwater, and relax the rest of the day. It was a simple life but it was one he enjoyed. The girls and Sully were really the only people he needed in his life right now. The only time he went out in public was to pick up groceries and even then he still went at night to avoid detection. It seemed the government was on the hunt for him now more than ever. He checked online and saw that his bounty was sixty-thousand as of now, and that was for him dead. The bounty for him alive was seventy-thousand and it made him shake his head. The surface was really stupid in his opinion, they really didn't know what it was like to watch your back every few minutes.
Jenna sleepily stumbled into the booth with her pajamas on and leaned her head against his arm. He had already made her breakfast and slid it in front of her while nodding when she asked if it was for her. Eleanor later came into the room and sat down while resting her head in her arms and falling back asleep. He could understand why they were tired; last night a rather nasty storm hit the ship and the three had to help do repairs. He and Eleanor went underwater to see if there were any leaks in the hull while Jenna and Sully got rid of any debris that made a mess. The storm was so nasty that it actually would cost them a bit for repairs and it made them stressed and tired. He supposed this was part of the job of being on a ship, dealing with circumstances like these. All they really needed to do was head into Vale to pick up some window panes and groceries. They were currently sick of eating canned food and fish.
They arrived early into the night and immediately went shopping for supplies. Jenna and Eleanor went and picked out things they wanted to eat while he just looked at the list and picked out the items. Shopping didn't really bother him like some people because he always had someone to do it with but tonight felt different. For one, the store was pretty much barren, the cashier kept sending glances at him, and everything turned out to be more expensive than he expected. When they were walking back to the ship and through the crowd, an ambulance shot past them and made the three look in the direction of it. There were murmurs in the crowd while the three were just staring at the spot.
"What do you think happened?" Eleanor asked.
"No idea. Let's just get these back to the ship. I still need to get those window panes with Sully." He answered. Both of them nodded and began to head back to the ship, a few minutes of walking and they began to notice that Jenna was beginning to fall behind. It was probably due to the fact that she had so many grocery bags. He ignored her when she said she was fine and took three of the bags from her and carried them on his fingers. It was still early in the night and he wanted to get those panes sooner than later since they needed to be back on the water in the next week.
It took a while but they eventually arrived at the ship and began to unload the groceries and put them away. Half an hour later and everything was organized and put away before the two stood up gave him a hug before going to their rooms. It had been a few weeks since he's been to a bar but he decided against it, they needed stuff for the ship and he wasn't about to blow his money on alcohol. Sully was already off the ship and waiting for him while he just grabbed his diving knife and followed the older man to the department store. It took maybe half an hour to actually reach the department store through the subway but they eventually reached it.
He took his scarf off in the store and just let his face cool off a bit before holding it. They spent a bit of time at the store just looking for the right measurements and finally found it. They needed around seven and sighed in exasperation when they saw the actual price of each one, why did everything have to be so expensive nowadays? They had to include the cost of the repairman coming in because neither of them knew how to replace one without screwing up and making the situation worse.
"The total cost for this type of window is seven hundred." The cashier said.
"Lord almighty, why the hell is it so expensive?" Sully gaped.
"This type is shatterproof and has a three year warranty. It's infused with gravity dust to push off Grimm; well, it depends on what you're using it for." The cashier said as she typed something.
"My ship, we usually have to fend off Grimm and the sea itself." Sully answered.
"Hmm, you're lucky you caught us during a deal because it would've been twelve-hundred for the original price." She informed.
"Well, guess it ain't too bad." He sighed.
"Could always be worse." She shrugged.
"Yeah, it could. Well, come on Johnny, guess we should head back." He said.
"Hmm." Delta nodded and picked up the box that held the glass and held it over his shoulder. He signed his thanks to the cashier and followed Sully out of the store, putting his scarf back on and began to walk back into the streets, pushing through people who got in the way. The repairman would be at the ship in a few days and fix the windows for them then it was back out at sea for them. He thought about what that cashier said and smirked when he put some thought into it. She was right, things could always be worse for them. At the very least, he had a roof over his head, food in his stomach, clothes on his back, and two kids that needed guidance... things could always be worse for him. Even if he was a criminal in people's eyes.
The repairman came during an bad day. It was one of those days where he just cleaned the deck because he needed something to do but it was also a day where Eleanor was sick. She had caught something from somebody at the store and was currently bed ridden, he had to keep giving her medicine because she kept vomiting it up into the trash bin next to her bed. Each time he would give her medicine she always pulled her head away from him which made him force the substance down her throat and keep her mouth shut with his hands. She seemed to keep it down this time and her face turned a bit green from the taste but she eventually fell asleep.
It took a few hours but the repairman got all the windows fixed and was currently being payed with a hefty amount of lien cards. He tried to weasel his way a few more cards but left out of fear when Delta saw what he was doing and stomped up to him. The surface was so greedy, the more time he spent up here, the more he wished he was down in Rapture before he shot himself in the skull. Sure there was gruesome crimes in Rapture, but at least he could deal with it and not get in trouble due to him being a Big Daddy. Up here he was just a serial killer in people's eyes He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Sully walk up to him and lean on the railing next to him while staring out at the sea.
"Well... that was a hefty investment." He said.
"It was a necessary one though, our windows are stronger so we won't have to buy more anytime soon." Delta signed.
"Well, you're right about that. How's the lass?" Sully asked.
"Unfortunately, she has the flu. She's getting better though. Should be a few days until she's better so I'm keeping Jenna in my room while I just sleep at the table." He answered.
"Why not sleep in your own bed? Or is the little lass that much of a problem?" Sully grinned.
"Jenna doesn't make a noise. She constantly kicks the shit out of you for more room even though she has a majority of the bed. I still need sleep." Delta signed.
"Your beauty sleep? Kid, there ain't nothing beautiful about that mug of yours." Sully jabbed.
"Keep talking, old man, we'll see who's sleeping with the fishes tonight." Delta shoved the older man.
"Ohhhhh, the sleeping with the fishes threat, eh? I've spent enough time on this ship to know that you can't sleep in the water or with the fishes. Seems you've lost a few brain cells back there in Argus. You're dumb now. You're a big, dumb, dipshit." Sully insulted.
"Oh yeah? Well, you're an ugly ass old man who probably hadn't gotten laid in god knows how many years due to his drinking problem, bad odor, or tiny ass pecker." Delta insulted back.
"As if you don't have a drinking problem, you drink more than me! I still got it, back then I had ladies lining up at my front door just itching to get a piece of me." Sully pointed at his chest with a grin on his face.
"Key words: Back then. No woman now would want to go with a scruffy ass old man." Delta retorted.
"That hurts my pride, kid. Have you no soul for a poor old man?" Sully wiped away a few tears.
"Just not for you." Delta said then gave those wheezy chuckles. The two started to throw more insults at each other, each one harsher than the last. To an outside perspective and maybe an inside, it might have seemed like the two men hated one another with upmost passion but this is how they joke around. They often said horrible things to one another then laugh it off over a few drinks. It was playful banter in their opinion, nothing but jokes and slurs thrown at each other for a good laugh. Sully enjoyed the foul language he could throw at someone and not offend them while Delta just enjoyed this little bit of human interaction.
A few weeks after he started working for Sully, he remembered him from his past. A lonely sailor who took the blonde kid underneath his belt when he had nowhere else to go and taught him everything he knew about maintaining a ship and so forth. They're more akin to a father and son relationship than a captain and crewman. It was also a little comforting since Sully was a trustworthy candidate should something ever happen to him. He trusted Sully as much as he trusted Sinclair once he got to know him, both were loyal men and would do anything to help him out. He just had to make sure nothing happened to Sully like Sinclair. There was no need for good men like them to die because of him.
"Well, kid, I'm off to bed." Sully patted his shoulder.
"It's only eight, Sully." Delta pointed out.
"Bah, you know me. Old age and stuff along those lines." He gave a thumbs up and shuffled down the stairs. The larger man gave a painful sounding chuckle before turning his head back out to the sea. It must have been a few hours since he and Sully had been talking because the sun was starting to set. A smile slowly graced his lips when he saw the beauty of the sun and he watched it slowly descend over the horizon. Ten minutes later and he went to the kitchen area and began to clean up a bit from lunch. He washed the dishes, cleaned the counters, then finally swept the floors. It wasn't the most exciting life but it was something he wanted now, a calm open life as he raised his two daughters.
Tiny footsteps made him look to see Jenna walk into the kitchen and open the fridge. She brought out two pudding cups and sat at the booth while smiling at him. He knew that she was just waiting for him to finish cleaning up and he didn't want to keep her. It took a minute but he eventually got rid of the dirt from the kitchen and dumped it in the trashcan before scooting in the booth and opening up his pudding cup. Both of them ate their dessert in silence for the next few minutes. She held back a yawn and he just ruffled her hair and threw away their trash before going downstairs and getting her ready for bed.
Both stepped into the bathroom and she got in the bath while he just filled a container of water up then poured it over her head. She scrubbed herself to the best of her ability while he helped also and got the spots she missed. Despite her claiming she was a big girl, she wasn't. Only just being seven years old, she still had that childish charm that he adored. It took around ten minutes but he eventually finished cleaning her up and hefted her out of the tub and onto the bathroom mat. He wrapped a towel around her body and went in the other room to get her favorite pajamas.
It barely took a minute for her to actually get her pajamas on but getting her to brush her teeth took longer than it should've. After several minutes of struggling, she finally submitted and brushed her teeth next to him. Even as she stood on the stool, she still needed to stand on her toes to see clearly in the mirror. Both gave one final spit in the sink then rinsed their toothbrushes before he scooped her into his arms and carried her to his room down the hall. Her feet planted on the bed softly and she stared at him while he set up the TV in the corner of the room and put on a movie for her.
Her eyes lit up at the sight of her favorite movie and she started to jump on the bed childishly. He rolled his eyes and smiled at her before picking her up and throwing the blanket aside then lying her down on the bed. The blanket was placed over her and he watched as her eyes glued to the TV and he walked out of the room.
"I'm going to check on your sister." He signed to her. She nodded and he kissed her forehead goodnight before going in the hallway, ignoring the swaying of the ship as it rocked back and forth. He finally reached the end of the hall where the girls' room was at and opened the door, immediately being assaulted by the scent of vomit in the nearby waste bin. On the bottom bunk covered in a blanket, was his eldest daughter lying there.
"Hi." She croaked out hoarsely before letting out a wet cough. He sighed and walked towards the bed, sitting on the edge and putting his hand against her forehead. The fever was gone now but she still had nausea, coughs, and a stuffy nose. This is the second time she's been sick in the past several months and it still worried him a good bit whenever she came stumbling out of her room looking worse for wear.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Like I just vomited up my dinner." She coughed out. A coughing fit broke the silence and he quickly grabbed the waste bin and held it up to her as she vomited into it, that wet sounding splatter of her bile made him cringe and he waited until she was done. She spit the last of it out and groaned as she lied back down. The air was silent once again before she saw him begin to sign to her.
"When was the last time you ate?" He asked.
"This morning..." She answered tiredly.
"Come on, you need to stretch your legs and get something to eat. After that, I want you to take a shower." He said, helping her to her feet.
"Why the shower?" She asked.
"You haven't showered since you first got sick and it might help with your nose, possibly clear it up a bit." He answered. At first, she wanted to argue with him saying that none of that stuff worked but decided against it. She did stink now and she was kind of hungry so maybe getting something to eat would help her stomach a bit.
The two walked into the hallway and went up the stairs, striding across the dock quickly and he sat her down at the table then went into one of the cupboards to fish out a can of chicken noodle then dumped the contents in a pot and turned on the stove. He put some water in the kettle and turned it on high while crossing his arms, waiting for the two things to be done. Eleanor just set her head on the table and groaned a bit when her stomach growled and winced when the kettle started to whistle loudly after a few minutes.
Pouring met her ears and a minute later she was treated to a hot bowl of soup and a steaming mug of tea. He sat down next to her and picked up a book while she just ate in silence, only making a noise when she coughed. Several minutes passed by and she was still eating the soup and drinking the tea. A few more minutes went by and she had finished then set the dirty dishes in the sink before going downstairs to the bathroom. He heard the shower turn on and went downstairs to her room, getting the dirty sheets and blankets then tossing them to the floor. The whole room reeked of bile and it made him cringe before he went to the waste bin and picked it up. His nose wrinkled in disgust at the horrid smell and he quickened his steps before chucking the vomit down the side of the ship.
Wet, chunky globs of vomit splattered against the water's surface and made him cringe again before deciding that burning the damn thing was better. His hands erupted into a flame and he burned the waste bin on top of the deck, watching as it turned to ash a few minutes later. He swept the ashes off the side with his foot and proceeded to head back into the ship and back to Eleanor's room. She was still in the shower which was good because he could replace her sheets with clean ones and wash the dirty ones. It was stretching into maybe five minutes for him to actually get the sheets on because every time he tried to put it on one corner, the other one would pop off. His last try though, he managed to get them on and beamed in satisfaction.
Until all of the corners popped off all at once.
An annoyed groan escaped his lips as he proceeded to do the process once again and actually succeed this time. The dirty sheets were thrown into a pile on the floor and he picked them up before carrying them to the laundry room, setting the right adjustments for the sheets then waiting for the washer to fill up. He just listened to the sound of the water rushing down before grabbing the detergent and pouring the right amount and dumping it in, rinsing out the cap with the water then putting it back on the almost empty container.
He was so enraptured by the sound of the washer filling up that he didn't hear Eleanor peek inside until he heard her voice.
"Thanks, dad." She thanked.
"It's no problem. Feeling better?" He asked.
"A little, the shower helped clear up my sinus so that's something." She said, her voice a bit clearer now that her congestion was gone.
"That's good. Go and get some rest, if you're feeling better we might head into town to get some groceries. Maybe take a stroll around and get some fresh air." He said.
"Okay, goodnight." She said.
"Night. Love you." He signed.
"Love you too, see you tomorrow." She yawned then headed out while he just smiled. That warm feeling in his chest whenever one of the girls said that line made him realize that being a father was rewarding at times. To be there for someone and be their role model made him realize that life itself wasn't that bad and things could be worse for them.
As long as they had each other then it'll be alright in the end.
So this is more of a filler chapter more than anything but I at least owe some of you a chapter for waiting patiently. I promise I'll try to get more chapters out but fucking work is literally pulling me into overtime nearly every night for no fucking reason but at least school's out that's a plus. Anyways, onto reviews so I don't have a repeat of the last chapter.
Datsniper: I don't blame you nor am I upset anymore on how you wrote that. You were simply making me realize how many plot holes there were in my story and gave me constructive criticism on my execution. For that, I will try to improve my writing to the best of my ability from now on, so thank you. Just make sure not to write so much, otherwise I might not read it, never mind I will.
UndeadLord22: Yeah, it's odd but it's ours. That second question, I don't know. I feel like his first aura burst was enough to save him once but if he were to have another situation like that happen again, it might not.
Wombag1786: I hope your stories go beyond people's expectations and I'm rooting for you.
Jack Lycan: That's... I don't really know how to answer that.
Greer123: Thank you for your concern and here's another chapter.
Guest: That would be funny about the Adam thing to be honest.
Lord-Azrael3: Thanks for that, appreciate it.
DoomKnight-6642: Yeah, I'm trying to diverge from the typical stories where the character always trusts people on the dime. I apologize about the update schedule but this fanfiction thing is merely a hobby for me, but I'll try to get them out on shorter time frames. I'm... doing better for lack of a better term, it's complicated but I assure you I'm fine, so don't you worry, friend.
The Baz: I don't remember either, so that makes two of us.
Guest: Thank you.
Vur: Indeed.
Guest: I have returned, Brother.
Guest: I had to go back and play it since I got the collector's edition and needless to say, I'm having a blast.
MythAnime: I'll explain it in the next chapter, so do not fret about a major plot hole in Delta/Jaune's character.
Victor John Foxfire: You never cease to amaze me, friend. I haven't seen you in a while. All I can say is that all will soon be revealed.
jc-montanorock: Heh, yeah.
Guest: Indeed, there is more to come. I have not given up hope on this story.
Earthly Entity: Yeah, the whole time frame thing should've been handled differently in my opinion because now looking back at it, it's a little hard to explain. About me updating, I really can't control that like I used to so sorry.
DrBubbles80: Yeah, I typically try to make my chapters at least a couple of thousand each time to satisfy people but when I lack in words, I somewhat make up for in quality. I'm not saying it's super incredible and the best but it's at least somewhat decent.
Guest: Thanks, reader.
Earthling173: It's alright man, this is life. No matter how many times it seems to kick my ass and put it through the ringer, I'll always try to get back up with a smile on my face. Thanks for the review though, real good looking out.
Guest: Here's another chapter for you and thanks for your input. When I literally read that little part with the midnight smile, my mind immediately went to My Hero Academia. You must be a god if you guessed one of my favorite anime shows.
Everyone, I just want to say thank you. Not just for waiting patiently but for giving this story a chance sticking with it. Don't worry about me ever quitting because I'm not but just be prepared for when I don't update for a while, life is hard and I gotta stick up the middle finger at the trials ahead and face them with a smile on my face.
So with that, have a good day everyone and sorry if this chapter is kind of dry in content but just be glad I'm at least still updating. So... see you all on the flip side. Have a good one.