Hey guys,

This is my first time writing for Owl House! Exciting, right? The idea came to me just after watching "King's Tide," and, while I can't tell you why it took 2 years to finish, I can say that I've been taking extra care to make sure I at least deliver a solid piece.

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

This story takes place during the airship ride sometime after season 2, episode 20 or during the beginning of season 2, episode 21. It honestly works better just after the opening scene of episode 21, in my opinion, but this isn't canon, so it shouldn't matter too much.

Okay, enough talk. Enjoy~!

I DO NOT OWN THE OWL HOUSE OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

Alador clutched his stomach as a dull feeling of pain and nausea settled in. Surely his body could have chosen a more convenient time to suffer.

As he pulled a lever to engage autopilot, the inventor cursed under his breath. Those snacks were to blame. Why did he find comfort in such unforgiving junk? They may have tasted good, but it was only a matter of time until he'd felt the consequences of eating them all. It had always been that way.

Positioning himself to lean against the ship's controls, Alador sighed in an attempt to remain calm and focused. They had to save Luz, and feeling generally unwell never stopped him before. Not that he had a choice in the matter anyway when it came to his wife and her client's demanding workloads. Alador's gut ached even more at the thought of dealing with her later, especially since it was scary enough squaring off with her and destroying the factory minutes prior. Did she mean what he thought she meant by 'papers?'

Lost in his thoughts, the man jumped slightly when a small voice spoke up from behind.

"Hey, Dad...?"

Alador turned to find Amity nervously shuffling about by the half wall overlooking the deck. "Oh, hi sweetie. Is everything okay?"

"No, not really..." She replied. "May I hang out up here for a while?"

"Um, sure." Alador invited her to take a seat on the floor before taking one himself, their backs against the control panel. "What's wrong?"

"I... I'm worried about Luz. She just came back to me only to be taken away again. And, not being able to talk with her-not knowing if she's safe-it... It makes me feel so useless." Amity brought her knees to her chest, hot tears pricking the corner of her eyes. "I just wish there was something I could do."

"I'm sorry, Amity. I know it's hard to have patience when someone you love is in danger..." Alador raised his hand hesitantly before placing it on her head in a comforting manner. "I'm sure she's thinking of you, too. How do you normally talk with Luz? Does she have a phone?"

"We always send messages with these," Amity presented the small, yellow device from the pair she and her girlfriend shared and clutched it tight. "But, Mom broke mine when she grounded me."

"Oh no," Alador was genuinely upset over the state of the device. "That wasn't even manufactured here, was it?"

Amity shook her head, then offered it to him. "Luz said they're old toys from the human realm. Do you think there's a way to fix it?"

"Well, maybe-But, several parts are damaged. And, a few others are missing, I think... I don't have the right tools to even try at the moment, though." He confessed, handing it back. "Sorry."

"It's alright... I really just want to know if she's okay. I know Luz can handle herself, but Belos is strong, and dangerous." His youngest went on, voicing more of her inner turmoil. "You don't think he'll hurt her as soon as she gets there, do you?"

Alador hardly knew the true wrath of Emperor Belos, and had no idea how well Luz would fare against him head on, but he did his best to find the right words to answer. "Well, Luz has proven to be very capable when it comes to protecting herself. We can only trust that she'll keep herself safe until we get there."

"I guess you're right," Amity sighed in defeat, surprising both her father and herself by leaning against him.

A soft crunching sound came from his pockets as she did so, prompting Alador to apologize once again. He still had some trash from his stress binge earlier, and even more unfinished bags in other pockets. Pulling out a plastic grocery bag, he began emptying his coat and pant pockets, filling it with various wrappers in seconds.

"Whoa," Amity was both concerned and astonished. Wiping her eyes, she studied its contents. "Where did you get all of that?"

Her father blushed lightly from embarrassment, looking away. "I carry them all the time. Heh, you never know...?"

"Oh," she sniffled, "do you have any more?"

"Oh, uh, just a few." Alador placed the bag of trash aside before pulling out a package of mini cookies and offering it to her. "Do you like these? If not, I have something else."

"No, these are fine." She assured him, accepting the snack food and digging in. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Resting his hands over his abdomen for the second time, Alador sighed heavily, then slouched to get more comfortable. Both sat content in silence until a cookie was lifted into his line of sight. Amity was offering it to him, which he took but held onto rather than ate. He instead tightened his grip around himself as he examined the treat. It was a shortbread cookie with red speckles and pink frosting. Definitely strawberry. He thought, turning it over.

Amity watched him curiously, "Dad...?"

"Hm?"

"What about you?" She asked. "...Are you okay?"

"Me...?" He wasn't expecting her to ask about him. Alador frowned deeply, thinking of all the things that had happened that day. Everything that became clear. How did he not realize he had been aiding a villain this whole time? And, to add insult to injury, his wife knew all about it! How could she do that? To our kids-to me!? "Honestly, no... I'm not okay. This whole thing-the Day of Unity, and your mother keeping it from us. From me... It's just a lot to process right now."

"I know, I'm sorry." Amity folded the now empty cookie package. "I should have told you as soon as I found out... We probably wouldn't be in this mess if I just went to you in the first place."

"It isn't your fault. You and your friends gathered a team of people who you could trust, and who you knew would listen. I only began having doubts about it recently... Ugh, how could I have been so stupid!" Alador sucked his teeth, eating the cookie out of pure frustration, which almost immediately made him wish he hadn't.

"What's wrong? The girl asked, noticing her father's sudden discomfort. She then gasped, "You didn't get hurt during the fight earlier, did you?"

"No, no," Alador shook his head. "I'm just starting to feel sick from eating all of that," he pointed to the wrapper-filled bag. "And, from the fight back there. I've been so stressed and overworked lately that they're the only things I eat..." He admitted, running his hand over his face. "I tend to binge, and that's not even all of them. I think I dropped a few wrappers around the factory." More than a few... "On top of all that, I'm still feeling side effects of the Fire Flu."

"What? The Fire Flu, too?"

"Yes, I-" As if on queue, Alador sneezed fire then coughed up a few puffs of smoke. "Ugh, sorry..."

"I had no idea," Amity said, finding herself even more upset. "Mom never told us you were sick. Why didn't you say something?"

He turned to his daughter warily, "I've barely had time to worry about myself while working, or while we were fighting, so I don't think I realized how bad it was until we got on the ship."

"Then you should rest as much as you can. We'll need your help in case we're ambushed at the castle."

"Hmm," A nap does sound nice. He thought, but shook his head. "I need to stay awake in case we're attacked in the air."

"Well, would you at least stay here a little while longer, then?"

"Amity, I'll be fine. I promise we'll-"

"Please?" She all but pleaded, struggling to hold back the heavy emotion in her voice.

The look in her eyes just then is what made Alador realize that she was asking more for her own sake rather than his. Amity had been dealing with so much for so long now that it was only a matter of time until she reached a breaking point. The only feelings that plagued him now were foolishness and heartache. How could it take him this long to notice?

"Okay, Amity," he sighed, leaning back again. "I'll stay right here."

"Good." Amity went back to hugging her knees. "I'll stay here, too."

"Of course," Alador held out his hand, remembering that she preferred a handshake over a hug from him before. "I think I could use the company."

Amity smiled, taking his hand and leaning into his side again. "Thanks, Dad."

Alright, that's a wrap!

Did you enjoy it? I hope so! If not, then that's okay, too. I'm open to receiving critiques, so please let me know what I could have done differently or what Owl House fics you'd like to see from me in the future!

Thanks for reading!