She still couldn't believe it.
Probably wouldn't for a while.
Somehow...
In some way...
Her family had survived.
Survived!
All of them.
Deez.
Gil.
T.
She sighs as she looks around the darkened room, for now ignoring the occasional flares of green lighting up the window behind the drawn curtains.
She'd thought for sure-
Deez and Gil-
Her throat tightens painfully.
She shakes her head, banishing the thought before she could react to it.
They were here.
They'd survived.
But the thought persisted, taunted her.
She'd woken up, terrified the reunion had been a dream the night before.
Just her mind playing yet another cruel joke on her.
But, here they were.
Her gaze travels to the shadows where she knew Harry was holding T in a hammock.
All of them.
Her Sweet Boy and Baby Girl were still wrapped tightly around her.
Deez's soothing warmth.
Gil's strength.
The two of them shielding her from her nightmares.
Surrounding her, keeping her safe.
They were so lucky.
So very, very lucky.
After everything.
The storm.
The waves.
The fucking mutiny.
Somehow they'd managed to come out of it mostly unscathed.
And yeah, there had been injuries-
But not ones that couldn't be mended; couldn't be overcome.
Lucky.
The word just kept ringing in her head like a mantra.
There were so many that had returned empty-handed.
Were still returning with hollowed looks in their eyes.
Her heart ached for them.
She'd been there.
She and Harry had also come back empty-handed and hollow.
But then-
She presses a hand to her chest and the strange pain before it could make a sound.
They were just so lucky.
Lucky to be reunited.
Lucky to be alive.
She still wasn't sure how-
Her eyes sweep over Gil and Deez.
She couldn't stop watching them, captivated just by their breathing.
Captivated by all the small things she'd convinced herself she'd never get to have again.
Small innocent smiles in sleep.
The way Deez and Gil seemed to need contact with each other.
The way Deez frowned every time she shifted.
The possessive way Gil pulled what was his to him.
All of it.
They were alive.
Alive.
Here.
And alive.
She can't help the giggle that escapes.
She'd been so, so-
Devastated?
It was the closest word she could come up with, but it didn't hold a candle to the grief she'd felt.
The madness she'd spiraled into.
She'd broken.
Let herself be beaten down.
Consumed in a whirlpool of emotions she had no names for.
So done.
So far gone.
Her world looked so desolate.
Barren.
Bleak.
She'd been so painfully lost in her despair.
After all, how could she go on without her anchor?
The one who kept her stable.
Who kept her from getting lost at sea?
Who stayed steadfast against every rip of the tide.
That held them together.
How could she go on without her light?
The one who kept her from the dark depths of her mind.
Who kept her from losing herself to her pride.
Who managed to make her smile even amongst the seedier shadows of the Isle.
That brought warmth to the chill that never seemed to completely seep from her bones?
She was just so lucky.
Lucky.
She never believed herself to be favored by fortune.
But here she was.
Lucky.
She lets out another joyous laugh as the two curl around her tighter, her hands burrowing lovingly into matted curls and knotted silk.
A solid reminder that they were actually there.
Actually with her.
Within reach.
Safe.
Home.
Exactly where they belonged.
"Are you even sleeping?" Deez's quiet voice pulls her out of her thoughts as a small hand brushes against her cheek.
"Sorry," She pouts, "I just- Did I wake you up?" She'd feel awful if it had been her laughter that had pulled her from her slumber.
Deez shakes her head before she scoots closer, pressing her face to her shoulder, "I had a bad dream, but your laughing helped it stop."
"I'm sorry, Baby Girl," She holds her closer, "But, I'm glad I could help." She runs her hand through her hair.
The smaller girl's hold on her tightens. "Thank you."
"Of course," She smiles as she looks her over.
How long had it been since they'd bathed? How much had they been through to come back streaked and grimy despite the torrent of rain?
Her eyes narrow- How long had it been since she'd bathed. Her nose scrunches.
She kisses the top of her head, "What do you say 'bout takin' a bath with me?"
She hears a hitch in Deez's breath before she slowly nods.
"Me too?" Gil yawns as he nuzzles against them.
"Of course Sweet Boy," She chuckles as she caresses his cheek.
"I'll heat the water." Deez offers as she fights to untangle her arms and legs from them.
She grins, "Thanks, Baby Girl," though she finds it hard to let her go.
Gil chuckles as he pulls her closer. "I've got'cha." He curls around her.
Deez pouts up at her, "This is not heating the water."
She lets out a deep breath as she slowly releases her hand, "right."
"It's just right there." Deez smiles before she kisses her nose and rolls out of bed.
Gil chuckles as he pulls her off the bed with him. "You still smell like-" He sniffs her, "all the alcohol."
Deez wasn't quite fast enough to muffle her snort entirely.
Heat flares to life on her cheeks, "I…" She clicks her tongue, "We all need baths."
"Working on it." Deez sing-songs as blue and orange light flickers between her and the metal tub.
"Oh!" She turns to her, "That's not- I know you are, thank you."
"Breathe, Uma." Deez offers with a small smile.
She lets out a deep breath.
That was a new one.
One of them telling her to breathe.
She nuzzles Gil, enjoying his deep rumbling laughter as it resonates through her.
That.
More than anything, she'd mourned that.
The thought of never feeling her Sweet Boy's laugh again. She hugs him tightly.
He sighs as he nudges her head with his chin, "You're okay. We're home. I'm sorry we scared you so bad."
The light around Deez's hands flickers and dies, drawing both of their attention.
"Treasure?" He frowns as he watches her in concern.
She sighs as she taps Gil's shoulder, smiling up at him once her feet touch the floor.
She hugs Deez to her tightly, "What's wrong, Baby Girl?" She whispers.
"I, I didn't think about you going to look for us at the cove." She struggles to admit, "I just-" She shivers before her arms return the hug.
She looks away as she hugs her tighter. "It's okay," She runs a hand through her hair. "I-" She sighs.
"I can't imagine how that looked," Deez says with a tremble in her voice.
Bottles clink behind her, "I think I can."
She turns to glare at Gil.
"I…" She clears her throat, "that is to say, we didn't take it the best." She admits, feeling little remorse for sinking Harry along with herself.
Deez shakes her head as warmth trickles down her neck, "I shouldn't have- I mean, once the worst was over, we could have, I shouldn't have, I just wanted out. Away. I'm so sorry I didn't think about watching- or waiting-"
"Ssshhh," She hugs her tighter. "What matters is you got out." She smiles up at Gil, "Got both of you out."
Guilt hits her like the rush of high tide.
They shouldn't have given up.
She shouldn't have given up.
It had just been so utterly and completely demoralizing.
Catastrophic.
It felt as if they'd lost their whole family, staring at the devastation of the cove.
Knowing the docks were gone.
The chip shop.
Everything that had once been their home.
All the places, good and bad.
Gone.
Except for her ship.
Their haven.
She peppers kisses over the frizzy blue hair before she shakes her head, "But, speaking of.." She takes Deez by the shoulders as her eyes sweep over her, "How?"
Deez looks up as her breath hitches and she wipes a hand over her face, "How what?"
She bites her lip as she cups Deez's face and thumbs away her tears, "How did ya save yourselves?" She asks softly. Her voice a bare whisper.
If it wasn't for Deez's senses, she was sure she wouldn't have heard it.
A soft hitch was the only indication the smaller girl heard her before Deez pulls away to look over her shoulder at Gil, "When I woke up, when the tide in the cave was trying to pull us out," She swallows hard before she continues, her soft voice never rising above the barest whisper, "I punched my arm into the stone and held on to him."
She swallows the lump in her throat.
That was her clever Baby Girl, thinking on her feet.
Thinking quickly despite the terror.
Swallowing her fear in such an agonizing way.
Knowing, perhaps even innately, that it would be up to her and her alone to save them.
Her courageous Baby Girl.
Stubborn and determined in the direst of circumstances.
"Huh," Gil pads over to them as if that was news to him too.
Deez takes a slow, deep breath before she exhales. "That's how my shoulder got hurt, because I was too scared to pull it free."
Ah.
She hugs Deez to her tightly, hearing the hitch of fear, the hesitance.
The sling.
It had been killing her to know why her Baby Girl had needed one. And as horrific as it was to think about the force it must've taken for Deez's arm to be so injured, she was so, so, very grateful for her quick thinking.
For her fortitude.
For her ability to withstand the agony she must've been in.
Bravely keeping both of them safe against the force of nature that had been the sea.
Gil's brow furrows, "That's how you kept us safe… But how did you rescue us? It's been botherin' me…"
She nods. "I wanna know what I missed." She closes her eyes.
Cause she was-
Missing something.
And as much as she prayed and pleaded that something like this never happened again-
She needed to know.
Deez takes another deep breath before she turns away and presses her hands to the tub again, "The water kept filling the cave and then rushing back out," She starts to explain as her hands light up orange against the metal, "but it started slowing down, so at one point I timed it and let go."
She grimaces.
Fuck.
She could just picture it.
Deez hanging on to the rock with everything she had as she clung to Gil tightly.
Dangling.
Terrified.
Alone.
Desperate.
Tears of fear running down her face as her screams were washed away with every pull of the tide.
Gil limp in her arms- legs.
Any part of her that could keep him to her.
Her Sweet Boy limp in her embrace.
She'd never been so grateful for Gil's understanding as his arms wrap around her and pull her in tight.
For understanding when she needed to be comforted.
More tears gather in her eyes.
An understanding and comfort she'd thought she'd never experience again.
"We got pulled out, but when the water rushed back towards the Isle, I shoved my good arm into the cliff and held on, to it and-" Deez swallows, "To you." She bites her lip before she dips a hand into the steaming water. "It took a while, but I figured out how to balance us and climb up the cliff. There's probably still scorch marks everywhere I plunged my hand into whatever I could reach."
She grimaces.
She hadn't looked farther than the cove.
Had given up after the first hole.
Hadn't even considered looking to the cliff.
Hadn't been able to think of anything as she was engulfed in her grief.
"Deez," Gil whispers, his awe nearly palpable. "You…" He shakes his head as he pulls her with him to include Deez in his tight embrace. "Thank you." He kisses Deez gently. "I can't- Thank you."
"Family doesn't leave family behind." Deez smiles up at them.
She chokes on her sobbing laughter as she clings to Deez tightly.
Their creed.
She'd hung onto their creed.
Found strength in it.
Her Baby Girl-
Words couldn't describe the warmth in her chest at the soft admission.
Another gift.
Finally,
After years of trying to get her to see it.
To understand it.
Whatever dot she'd been missing had clicked.
"I, I just wanted to be able to tell you guys I got it." Deez admits breathlessly, "I understand what it means now. It's not just never leaving family behind, it's why. It's knowing how much more it would hurt."
Her voice tightens to a squeak before she can continue, "It's, it's knowing how lost we'd all be. How nothing would ever be right again. And realizing it's not just how I feel. It's how we all feel, about each other. And trusting that. Trusting that family will make things better. Somehow."
Gil grins as he pulls both of them to him tightly. "Exactly."
A wet laugh escapes her as she takes solace in the embrace.
In her Baby Girl's understanding.
It killed her that the Isle turning on them is what it took-
But she'd take it.
Happily.
With fervor.
She's not sure how long they stand there.
All three of them, crying freely.
Lucky.
They were all so fucking lucky.
Deez's soft chuckle finally interrupts the quiet. "The water's cold again, at this rate we'll never get the gross off."
She sniffs as Gil chuckles before she clears her throat.
"Right," She nods as she hesitantly releases Deez, and Gil reluctantly releases them. "Do you mind, Baby Girl?"
Her hands flicker red and orange before the light dims against the metal siding.
Once a steady stream of steam rises she sighs, "Thank you." She whispers before she walks over and tenderly starts stripping Deez. "You did amazing," she adds softly, kissing her forehead before she picks her up and places her in the water.
At her tears, she reaches out to thumb them away again, "Thank you for taking care of our Sweet Boy, for taking care of yourself." She kisses her forehead again. "I've never been prouder of you."
She smiles as Deez looks down at the water, unable to hide her blush at the compliment.
She turns to Gil and slowly removes his clothes, "Thank you-" She bites her lip, "Thank you for not giving up on us." She whispers.
Cause she knew.
Just knew.
That the faith that they'd be okay- That they'd find each other. That they'd find them, couldn't have come from her Problem Child.
And after what she'd just heard of Deez's ordeal-
She couldn't blame them.
She'd clearly lost her faith too.
But her Sweet Boy?
Her Sweet Boy never gave up.
Not until it had been shoved in his face and down his throat.
He'd have to be choking on it before he would accept it.
Believe it.
Get lost in it.
"For getting all of you back to us."
Her anchor.
Their hope.
She smiles when his large hand drops to her head, "O'course, Uma." He grins down at her.
Of course.
She snorts.
Of course her Sweet Boy would be so accepting.
So laid back.
So utterly him.
She giggles wetly before she takes his hand and guides him into the tub.
"Stubbornly, of course," Deez pouts as Gil settles behind her.
"I'd expect no less from an anchor." She pats Deez's head gently.
Deez grins as she leans into Gil's chest, "I guess that's fair."
"Well, as long as ya find it fair." Gil snorts.
"That Uma says it."
He chuckles as he kisses the top of Deez's head, just pulling her closer when she turns to glare up at him.
She nods in approval, "Now you two stay." She orders playfully before she rushes around the room to gather soap, towels, and new clothes.
She glances at Harry, still fast asleep with T, before she snatches up his kit.
Orange.
Peppermint.
How she'd missed those two scents on them desperately.
She kneels next to the tub and dips one of the rags into the water before she lathers it with soap.
"So," She grins, "How'd you stumble upon T?"
Deez gulps before her whole body seems to lock in place.
Gil holds her to his chest tightly as he shivers and looks down with a grimace.
Neither one of them looks back at her.
That was a reaction.
Her brow furrows, "Sorry I asked."
She bites her lip.
There was a story there.
One that she was going to be sure to get from T-
Well, Faustina.
"You will be." Deez slowly shakes her head before she looks up, her eyes blank as they stare past her.
A chill runs down her spine as she glances at T.
The fuck did he do?
Lucky.
Aren't we the nicest? Keeping them all alive? Not stringing ya'll along?
Think about how easy it would've been to kill them during this. Cause seriously, we definitely could've R.R. Martined the shit out of this.
Luckily for ya'll we enjoy the fam too much for that.
Umes is so relieved.
So grateful.
Cause honestly yo. Shit was bad.
Fuck if I don't love Gil and T rolling those bottles.
Legit my fave thing about the last two chapters.
The exasperation from the both of them, and the amusement.
So subtle but can't help my delight at the 'uh huh' in their tones.
And Uma's never ending disbelief that they're still alive.
Her Baby Girl and Sweet Boy.
Alive and mostly well.
More than she thought to hope for, that's for damned sure.
Fucking dead.
Gil and D both refusing to talk 'bout Addy tickles me on so many levels.
What'cha think Uma's gonna think bout that when she finds out?
Harry?
Feel like we were remiss on anything here?
Much love and shit,
-Twisted