Clementine places a new cross in the graveyard of Ericson's fallen friends and loved ones. It has been three days since Clementine worked with Maya to get Violet back and to face her arch-enemy since she was 11 and slaying the monster that he is. Clementine pulled up from the cross as she laid a purple flower on his grave marker. In honor of a good man and soul and a friend of Maya and Aniya and the father to her mate, Clementine pulls away from the cross that reads Robert. Robert's cross sits next to Ms. Martin's. Clementine reaches out and traces her hands over Robert's name. In her way, since she is not religious, she is saying thank you to his spirit.
Louis looks at Clementine, bowed, looking at his father's grave marker. He doesn't know how to feel or process this knowing his father was alive all this time and still feels like a surreal moment of him giving his father what he longed for. Louis thought forgiving someone or allowing forgiveness in his soul would somehow be a cure. He forgave Clem and AJ for killing Marlon, but this is a different feeling altogether from forgiving the one person he was mad at for years. Louis takes a breath and walks toward Clementine as she stands over his father's grave. Louis sweetly wraps his arms around Clementine's waist and kisses the back of her neck, "You gave my father a grave marker?"
Clementine nods, "He deserves one. I know you and him have a rocky relationship, but he was not as bad when I met him briefly. He changed Lou, and not the father you once knew when you were a little boy. People change over time."
Louis eyes the name Robert then looks back at his girlfriend, "I know…in some fucked up way, part of me thanks him for sending me here to meet you and AJ. You bring me hope and love that I couldn't ask for more…but at the same time, I hated him for it. Leave me abandoned to fend for myself, like I am valued as something he didn't want, or live up to his perfect envision of a son. Shit, I don't even remember the happy times anymore with him, and all I see is what he did to me ten years ago. I mean…what was he like after he sent me to this shitty school."
Clementine looks at him and then casts her amber eyes at Maya, who is by the couch near the shooting target practice looking at her sister playing with the new girl Clementine brought into her group, as well as Maya and Aniya. Then she looks at Louis, "Well…maybe something you should ask Maya. After all, she was in his group for a while" Clementine sees the wounded Indigenous girl as she embraces her new life here with Ericson. Clementine saw something in her the day of planning to get Violet back like she gets a sense that Maya always belonged here at this school. She only wishes to take back her judgment on her sooner. Clementine looks at Louis as he is still feeling down for not knowing his father, "Maya could fill you in on what your father was like after the way you two left things. Maybe it is something you two can bond over."
Louis looked at her and gave a little encouraging small smile. He looks at the rugged Indian girl and her sister, "You know..those two really can make this place lively again, and kind of fill the roles of the three people we lost. I guess Violet will get her wish of living out the rest of her life with the girl she truly loves. I've never seen her so lively and staying by Maya's side the last few days when Maya was recovering. She really does love her the way I love you."
Clementine smiles and looks over as Violet comes to greet her lover. "Yeah...I sense that too. Well, Aniya can share a room with Alicia in Brody's old room, and we all know where Maya will be rooming with." Clementine wiggles her eyebrows and nudges her head at Violet coming back from outside the gates. Then she looks at Louis and smiles at him. Louis soon gets her meaning, and a smile breaks open on his face.
"I like that idea. Gives propose to the extra rooms we don't have use for. And bragging teasing rights on Violet's new romance." Louis smiles and chuckles a bit, and Clementine rolls her eyes at her boyfriend. Then Aasim approaches them as Louis and Clementine walk out of the graveyard.
"Lou..ah, you have watch duty. And Willy and I have hunting to do here at dusk." Aasim looks to both Louis and Clementine.
"Actually, Aasim, since you and Willy did most of the weight around here while Louis was still recovering, you two deserve a night off. Spend it with Ruby." Clementine smiles.
"Really you sure? I don't mind—" Aasim offered his service to Clementine.
"Yes, I'm sure." Clementine nods. She nods for Aasim to spend time with Ruby.
"Uh Clem, if Willy and Aasim are not going to hunt, then who? We still need food to survive here?" Louis asks.
Clementine looks up at her boyfriend, "I have someone in mind to go hunting with and see if she is as good of a hunter as you, and Vi make her out to me." Clementine eyes her amber gaze onto Maya. Louis looks at Clementine, then at Maya, and smiles and kisses her head before parting ways with her and going switch out with Willy for lookout duty.
Maya watches as her little sister, for once, is playing like a normal sixteen-year-old with Clementine's little boy, Tennessee, and Alicia. It finally feels like a real home, and she doesn't have to worry for her sister's safety as much and can live out what Robert told her many months ago, to live life to the fullest and seize the day. After the fight, Clementine welcomes Maya and her sister, and Alicia into Ericson. Clementine, Ruby, and Violet all agree Aniya and Alicia take over Brody's old room, and after Maya gets healed up from her new battle scars from Alberto, Violet offers and wants Maya to move in with her. To finally be in the loving arms she wanted since she found true love in Maya, and her heart can finally love someone new.
Maya was entranced by her sister's happiness. She soon felt warm hands encompass her waist and a soft gentle kiss on Maya's back shoulders. Maya knows all too well it is Violet. Maya turns her gaze off her sister, playing with the younger children making shadow puppets, and chasing leaves. And she looks right into Violet's soft spring-green eyes. She winces a little at the new battle scars she got from Alberto's attacks, as her right eye is still black and blue from the beatings. There is a semi-deep cut on her left cheekbone and several on her lower abdomen and her sides from Alberto's knife found its mark in Maya, of her battle with him.
Violet looks down a little and bites her lower lip at touching Maya's wounds, "Sorry…forgot those wounds are still fresh."
"It's okay. Your warm touch is worth it, ending the pain a little bit." Maya smiles, hiding the pain of what she really feels but tries to be brave not to make Violet feel she has to be treated like she is glass.
Violet shakes her head at her trying to be brave, but she plays along. Violet slowly reaches into her vest pocket and hands Maya back her white and turquoise knife back, "I brought this back for you. While you were in the informatory getting looked at by Ruby and your sister settled in Brody's old room. I returned to the river where you fought Alberto and got your knife back. I know how much this means to you." Maya looks at her and touches her father's knife, and she sees her dad's initials J.K Jessie Kadoka. on the side of the handle and rubs her thumb over the engraved initials. Small tears came out of Maya's eyes.
Maya slowly raised her gaze at Violet and spoke her gratitude for giving her a piece of her memory of her father, "Thank you so much. This is the only thing besides this jacket I have left of my dad's. And why Arvo or Alberto never got a hold of this knife. I keep it next to my bag for herbs and next to my grandmother's knife. Robert was the only one besides my sister, Aniya, of knowing me not checking in my knives to the armory tent. Thank you, Vi, for this really.." Violet returns her smile as Maya puts her father's knife back in its leather sleeve. Then Maya's smile faded a little, and looks away from Violet's green eyes, "I'm sorry for betraying you…when Alberto and Arvo took you away from me. I never wanted to, and I knew how much I hurt you that day by me giving up Ericson and everyone that you love and abandoned you. When I gave you my word, I wouldn't hurt you or put you and everyone you care for in dange-"
Violet approached her and placed her soft hand on Maya's lips to make her stop talking and explaining herself on set action. "You don't need to explain Maya on your actions. I know you didn't have a choice. They….made you do it against your will. Either you give in to what they want, or I wouldn't have a left eye right now if you refused to talk. The fact is you stood your ground and defended me was very heroic and romantic as hell. You prove you love me more than what can be put into words. Willing to put yourself in harm's way to protect me from getting harmed. You showed me what true love really is with that act of love. I can't tell you how much that means to me. No one I cared for has ever done that to me in my entire existence. I love you, my rugged Native warrior. You're my hero." Violet moves to embrace Maya and holds her close to her body as she hugs her and kisses Maya's strong chest, smiling a real genuine warm smile.
Maya looks down at Violet, hugging her, and blushes big time at Violet, calling her her hero. And finally, the title she always wanted, a warrior. Violet pulls back, gazing at Maya with her semi-playful green eyes as they dart to the side for a moment, then back up at Maya in a blushing shy way. Maya looks at her and scratches the back of her neck, and her cheeks flare up as Maya is now flustered when Violet makes those bold moves at her as Violet gives her an 'I'm yours' look. "Warrior?" Maya asks.
Violet nods and proudly smiles at her native warrior when Maya loses her cool mojo over for Violet, "You deserve the title after what you did to fuck up Alberto and defend my honor. And fought tooth and nail and almost died to save me. You earned the title, Maya, of being a warrior in my eyes. My Star Bird." Violet eyes, Maya.
Maya smiles at that and then felt her knees get weak and her palms sweaty from Violet calling her both a warrior and her unique name, Violet's Star Bird. Maya's heart thumped crazily when she saw Violet slowly move in to kiss her sweetly as she returned the gesture on their first kiss of cupping Maya's face with her hand. Maya felt happiness swell in her body at Violet's kiss and moved to push in her lips as she wrapped her arm around Violet's waist and pulled her close to her, supporting Violet's backside in her making out with her girlfriend.
Their make-out is soon interrupted by a clear of the throat, and Maya stumbles backward a little bit from Violet's embrace and romantic moment and looks flush in the face of displaying her love and affection out in the open for Violet. Clementine looks at a flustered Maya and giggles at the older teen's expressions of love over her best friend, "You don't have to be embarrassed about showing off a little public display of affection, Maya…you too, Vi." Clementine finds it cute how Maya and Violet are shy to admit their love for each other around the other kids. Clementine asks Maya, "Can I borrow you for this evening."
Maya looks still flustered with kissing Violet like that in front of her new leader, "Su—re what…um..for?"
"For hunting. I know you are still recovering from your fight, but I want to see how good you say you are." Clementine smiles. "You up for it?"
Maya looks at Violet and then back at Clementine, "Yeah, sure."
Clementine smiles and softly calls, "Meet me at the gates when you can."
Violet leans her head on Maya's shoulder and reaches up and kisses the new scar on her cheek, "Go. I can wait for a little while longer for my warrior to come back to me. Make me proud." She leans up and kisses Maya's lips again before letting Maya part ways to go with Clementine.
Maya was not willing to want to go just quite yet. Before Violet moves out of her reach, Maya reaches out and takes hold of Violet's wrist, and gently pulls Violet back to her. Maya lowers her face a little and kisses Violet's sweet lips tenderly as she kisses her. Maya pulled back, nuzzled her nose to Violet's, and softly whispered, "I love you, my sweet Violet Miller."
Violet's heart swelled when hearing Maya calling out her full name. She looked into Maya's rich chocolate-brown eyes and repeated her words back at her lover, "I love you too, Maya Kadoka."
Maya felt Violet kissing the scar above her left eyebrow and felt her smiling on her skin and soon pulled away and let her go with Clementine on a hunting mission. This time when Maya leaves the school, her heart no longer breaks, and Maya is now living at the school with Violet. Maya picks up the hunting bow and follows Clementine out of the school walls of her new home.
