Gale straightened with some difficulty, hands still in Dewey's, and smiled as she saw Sidney Prescott in the doorway, lightly touching its frame. Sidney was in a hospital gown as well but looked clean, her hair brushed, and she smiled back at Gale gently before turning her attention to Dewey.
"It's so good to see you awake," she said with feeling to Dewey. "Though I'd rather it not be here like this. I know I probably can't hug you, but can you let go of him long enough for me to do what I can?"
The last part was addressed to Gale, who rolled her eyes but released Dewey's hands, scooting her chair back to give Sidney room. Sidney came to his side and took the hand Gale had dropped, squeezing it, and then leaned forward to kiss Dewey's cheek.
"Don't let her get in that bed with you, Dewey, you both need to be more careful than that," she scolded lightly as she pulled back, still holding his hand. "She isn't even supposed to be out of bed."
"You are," Gale retorted, to which Sidney smirked back at her.
"True, but I'm also younger and closer to discharge. I'm technically good to go, but I wasn't about to go anywhere without seeing you guys first."
His eyes closed in a gesture of silent comfort when she placed her forehead to his. With an unconscious smile, he pushed his nose forward and touched with hers - it was the closest he could get without pulling at the stitches in his back and stomach, so a kiss would have to wait. There was a peaceful silence in the room as they pressed together, but it was interrupted by an equally comforting sound. "We always meet again under these circumstances, it shouldn't be that big of a surprise, Sid," he addressed her with a smile. He had already been close to Sidney when Tatum was alive, been since his sister's death, the two acted as siblings. And it had come naturally too, they just gravitated to each other when a Tatum sized hole in their hearts was removed.
He squeezed his hand back and gave a gentle pat to Sidney's back in a semi-hug when she leaned down and placed a kiss to his cheek. "Hadn't planned on it," he defended. "Thought about it? Now that's a different subject."
It didn't surprise him to hear that Sidney wanted to see them before going home, but it was still nice to hear nonetheless. Speaking of home, "How's the kids? And Mark?" he asked. He had seen Sid's first two children in person several times before Gale and himself moved away, but he had yet to meet the third. Dewey was considered as both a godparent and uncle to the mini Sidney's, and frankly, he missed them. He had been truly honored to have Sidney's first child named Tatum and her second Riley after his sister and surname - it had made him cry when she asked if it was okay, and he had to jokingly scold her for it.
Sidney's home was a second home for Dewey, not only because of his pseudo-sister's loving family, but because it was the very place he asked Gale to marry him. Wait - that's it! Sidney's home was in the middle of nowhere, and that's what Dewey and Gale were looking for!
"Hey, Sid, do you know of any houses being sold around Monterey?"
"That is true," Sidney acknowledged with a laugh in response to Dewey's point. "Can we try to have reunions occasionally that don't involve bloodshed? The drama stops being so dramatic after the tenth stabbing or so, it starts to seem more like twisted tradition."
Withdrawing her hand from Dewey, she gave Gale's shoulder a gentle squeeze, wordlessly conveying the message that as lightly as she was speaking, she knew Gale wasn't taking Dewey's condition lightly, and neither was she. Gale moved over on her chair for her, making room for Sidney to share the seat, but Sidney waved her off, standing beside her.
"Mark is good," she said simply, and the smile in her voice when she spoke about him showed more than anything she could have said how much love she had for him. "Holding down the fort with the girls. Probably got talked into making a literal fort, knowing Riley. The kids are good too. Halle just started preschool, Tatum is living up to her namesake with the sass and all the redone 90s clothes she thinks are newly discovered styles. She calls herself a VSCO girl, whatever that means," she shook her head. "Riley is my tomboy, she's happier outside and with animals than anywhere else. And she can't decide if she wants to be a cop like dad and Uncle Dewey or a "TV lady" like Aunt Gale. I kind of pray for neither, no offense."
Looking down at Gale, Sidney smiled. "She watches your show on weekends. For a minute there she wanted us to call her by her first and middle name all the time."
Thinking of Sidney's middle child, named for them both, and looking up to her enough to want to be called Riley Gale made Gale's heart squeeze with surprise and tenderness. She had never wanted children of her own- far too many terrible possibilities came with that- but Sidney's children were ones she cared for deeply, although she was never really sure how to talk to them.
Both she and Sidney looked over at Dewey at his question, Gale with the same realization as Dewey.
This could be a perfect compromise for them, especially with Sidney's family near. Sidney nodded, answering easily. "Always is, most people don't want to drive so far to get to places. Why, are one of you thinking of relocating?"
Her eyes lingered between them, not asking, but observing what hadn't been said, particularly when Gale took back Dewey's hand.
Hearing how Tatum and Riley have grown into their own people made him excited. Gale had never wanted kids while Dewey did, but he always respected Gale's boundaries on the subject. It hurt for a long time, and even a bit now, that he didn't get the chance to have his own children, but he always seemed to become a father-figure for others who suffered the same spree of murders. His paternal instinct was at it's highest during the 2011 Woodsboro Murders, so he felt especially worse for Kirby Reed, who had been similarly stabbed in the gut just as he had been now - although she was luckier in that she was able to keep all of her organs. He had helped her recovery in anyway possible and saw to it that she graduate high school early, just as Sidney and Randy did after the 1996 Woodsboro Murders.
Of the two children of Sidney's he's met, Riley took the biggest liking to him - Tatum was more in line with Gale's taste. She loved playing cops and robbers every time he went over, and even though his back told him no, Dewey couldn't help but indulge the young girl. One time he bought her a Teddy dressed in cop uniform and she held onto it ever visit after - he wondered if she still had it.
He smiled at Gale when she took his hand. "We're thinking of moving," he answered. "Together. New York and Woodsboro haven't been exactly kind to either of us, so we thought we'd try out something more rural."
Sidney's dark eyes took on a brighter sheen at Dewey's answer, and she stood a little straighter, giving a brief flinch, but not letting the pain in her side stop her interest or enthusiasm.
"That actually sounds like a great idea to me. If you guys are going to try again, a new start in a neutral place can only help. There's nothing to lose from trying it out, and if that setting doesn't work, it will give you more information on what might."
Her eyes drifted between them, taking in their conditions, before adding, "I'm not sure what you were thinking as far as careers, or if you wanted ones at all. But there is a lot more available now than there used to be for you both. Dewey, you could talk with Mark and see what might suit you, if you do want to work when youre recovered. And Gale, there might not be major networks in Monterey, but you have to know that everything is internet based these days anyway. If you want to be a journalist or a reporter or a public figure, you can do it."
She brightened further as more ideas seemed to come to her. " Hell, you could make your own virtual channel and production company, run it when and how you want and focus on what you want. Like those people who do the ghost tours, only obviously not. But you could- I don't know, try to solve cold case crimes, you both could have strengths with that. The point is you have time and options."
Gale stared at her, her mind already whirring. It was true, it was more difficult to get ratings up and viewers invested with the world being so internet based and people subscribing to channels, getting their news from social media. She had never considered any of Sidney's off the cuff suggestions, but they weren't terrible. She still didn't know now how she would feel if she did have visible scarring, but she at least had someone who would throw out options to consider.
Seeing their consideration, Sidney moved to give Dewey the closest to a hug she could around his neck and shoulders.
Letting him go and giving Gale a gentle hug as well, she nodded back at them. "We'll stay in touch and I'll see you again soon, okay? Take care of yourselves. Gale, I mean it, if you're staying here all night, at least get something to sleep on."
She and Gale ended up pulling out the sleeper sofa for Gale, because Gale had insisted she could do it herself and Sidney had insisted she was getting help regardless. After final goodbyes and affirming she would send them information of some of the houses for sale, Sidney left, and Gale and Dewey were alone again. Although the couch was pulled out, Gale stayed in her chair, wanting to stay close as long as possible.
"Sidney's gone a long time having a normal life," she mused. "Maybe it's possible. One day."
If the network indeed dropped Gale for her facial injury, then Sidney's suggestion wasn't a bad idea. It could give Gale's journalist drive it's daily doses and she was working for herself; although Gale has always been known to do whatever she wanted rather than what the higher ups wanted - if she wanted to throw herself into a warzone for the latest scoop, she would. Dewey wasn't quite sure if he wanted to return to Law Enforcement. True, it gave him the authority to enforce peace over his assigned county, but he was probably too old to be accepted back, especially now that he has two more stab wounds to add to his list and a missing organ.
Sidney was right though, he knew the inner workings of almost anything in terms of the law and detective skills, so he could utilize them by helping Gale with her own podcast or videos or whatever she decided to do. Dewey slung his free arm around Sidney's back as she hugged him again before she went to Gale and helped her with the sleeper sofa. Sidney seemed excited to have them be closer to her rather than across the country, and he couldn't blame her; he didn't know anybody outside of the three of them that Sidney could call her friends - then again, at this point they were family.
He smiled at Gale's optimism. There was still a hell of a lot to fix, between themselves and separately. Dewey was sure he was going to insist that Gale go to therapy, however he knew she despised it, and she probably would tell him to do the same. He didn't hate therapy, per say, he just didn't like talking about how he felt when he could be letting someone else talk about their problems to him so he could be a source of comfort...then again, that ideology sounded like he needed the therapy. He'd probably be told to go to AA meetings as well, which didn't seem as bad as therapy to him, however it still made him uncomfortable listening to other people's suffering, as if somehow he could've helped them but was powerless to do so.
It was a lot. And it would be difficult, but he's choosing to be happy now, which meant he had to pave the way for his own self-redemption. At least he'll have Gale with him throughout it all, and Sidney too. "Yeah. One day."
End - to be continued in sequel