She'd be lying if she said she wasn't worried.

Harry had been so upset with her-

And she couldn't blame him.

She'd tried so hard to assure them her and T were alright but-

She bites her lip.

And now?

Her concerned eyes sweep over Daniel, who was busying himself with organizing the colorful boxes-

She wasn't sure what to do.

Every time she looked at the boy, it was like she was taken back to the past, especially once he'd adorned the hoodie.

All she could see was T.

And that's not where the parallels ended.

His expressions.

Reactions.

How easy it was for her to understand what he was trying to convey.

It was bizarre.

Was that what was making things so difficult?

They'd passed off so many kids-

Left them to the care of the older kids on the ship.

So, she bites her lip, why did the thought of doing so with Daniel hurt so much?

She'd been so hopeful of a receptive meeting. Hopeful that the others would see how special he was.

Understand that he had survived the unimaginable-

But then everything had gone wrong.

She hadn't even gotten a chance to explain-

She sighs, "Daniel?" she prompts as she joins him, kneeling beside him as she patiently waits for him to finish his self-appointed task.

She smiles when he turns to her curiously, "can we talk for a moment? It's very important."

Daniel frowns as he studies her for a moment before he slowly nods.

"Thank you," she smiles, "I can already tell this isn't going to be easy for you, but I need you to do me a very important favor."

Daniel tilts his head to the side.

"I know you two didn't get started on the best terms, but, Captain Uma is our leader. She keeps us all safe, and has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. Everyone has to listen to her, okay? Even T. Do you understand?"

Daniel's eyebrows come together in a furrow before he points to himself.

She nods, "exactly, it's really important to me that you listen and do as she asks."

Daniel points to the ground before he looks up at her, points at himself and then at her.

She bites her lip as she drops her eyes, "Captain Uma, Harry, Deez, and Gil, they're our family. They chose us, and we chose them." She bites her lip, "but-" she looks up at him, "I don't know how they're going to-" her teeth sink into her lip, "take to you, and unfortunately due to my mistakes we haven't exactly started out on the best foot here." She admits, "so, I need you to be on your best behavior while I try to figure this out, okay?"

Daniel nods as he stands and gently pushes her until she swings her legs around to sit down before he crawls into her lap and rests his chin in his hands.

She smiles as she runs her hand through his hair, "I appreciate any help you can offer, Little Demon."

She just-

She couldn't picture her or T leaving him to sleep alone. It was going to be hard enough to leave him when T had to do missions.

She'd never thought she'd ever ask Uma for something so-

She frowns.

Brazen?

Bold?

She really wasn't sure what to name it.

Would Uma be offended when she asked for the boy to join their family? It was presumptuous, especially when they'd joined so recently but…

They'd failed so many young ones. Had been remiss in their collecting of children.

She doubted either of them would be able to keep their eyes off this boy for long.

She chews her lip, nervous at just the potential no.

They had so much to worry about already. So much weight on their shoulders. It would be understandable if she'd want to pass him off to another.

But it wouldn't be acceptable to her. To T. And she wasn't sure what type of rift that would put between them and the rest of the family.

This was-

She couldn't help it.

He'd become theirs at first bite.

They'd only met the boy a mere day ago, but she couldn't picture either of them abandoning him.

Couldn't picture their lives without him.

Even if it was to someone who was capable.

She knew it was selfish, but she already considered him theirs.

Theirs to protect.

Theirs to love.

Theirs to soothe and assure.

He was their salvation.

The key to an absolution she'd never thought possible.

They wouldn't, couldn't fail him.

Leave him.

And she was terrified of what that meant.

She hugs Daniel to her as she blinked back tears; desperately trying to ignore the pit in her stomach.

What were they supposed to do?

"Come on my Little Demon," She hears Faustina whisper faintly, "I promise I'll show you how in the morning."

She looks up from the makeshift bed where she was curled around Deez opposite to Gil.

They were all doing their best to share their body heat with her.

She couldn't remember a time Deez ever said she was cold, and the girl walked barefoot in the snow.

Her uncle's description of his brush with spells and draining was doing nothing to alleviate her fears.

"As adorable as that is, T promised we'd join them."

"Want a turn?" She asks Harry as she carefully slips out from under the blankets.

"Aye, I be wantin' that."

She smiles as he takes her place, before she scoops her hair back and presses a soft kiss to Deez's forehead.

Faustina frowns in concern, "sorry Captain, we didn't wake you up, did we?"

"Course not." She smiles as she joins Faustina near the entryway, "Harry and I were talking about our next set of plans for the camps while we let Gil and Deez know we're here," She wraps her arms around herself, "and trying to keep Deez warm, which shouldn't be as hard as it is with Gil being a radiator right now."

Faustina bites her lip as her eyes dart to the others, "I see," She shifts Daniel in her arms. "That's… Are you too worried to sleep?"

She purses her lips, "I catch sleep here and there." She sighs, "But it's been a whole day now, and neither of them are waking up."

"They are still recovering," Faustina says softly, "I'm sure Gil'll be up sooner rather than later, though."

She smiles, "I'm sure you're right, doesn't stop the fear."

"I understand," Faustina nods.

"But, now that there's no annoying, useless, loudmouth god around, think you can introduce us?" She steps back with her hands behind her back.

This boy, Daniel, she already knew he was different.

It didn't matter what it was that made him special, all it took was seeing the way T talked to and protected him.

The look on Faustina's face.

She knew that look.

Had seen it.

She saw it in the mirror the first time she met Deez.

And then when she found Harry and Gil.

Hell, even T, the little shit, when he was first dragged into the chip shop by Harry.

Her family wasn't done growing.

In spite of her current uncertainty, the idea brings a warmth to her fingers and toes.

"Of course," Faustina smiles brightly, "this is Daniel, Daniel this is Captain Uma." She introduces them, "She's the leader of our family and of the crew, she's very kind and equally protective. Want to say hello?"

She holds her hand out for Daniel, smiling at his curiously when he stares at her palm before he looks up at Faustina.

"I promise, Little Demon," Faustina coaxes, "she doesn't bite."

"Little Demon, huh?" She chuckles as she takes his offered hand, "how in Poseidon's name did you earn that name?"

"He was a bit feral when T found him." Faustina explains affectionately.

"Oh?" She tilts her head, looking up when Daniel drops her hand.

Faustina blushes, "T thought it fit, and he seems to like it." She ruffles the boy's hair tenderly.

Daniel holds his hands up, curving his fingers like claws before he chomps his teeth together.

A loud laugh escapes her before she slaps a hand over her mouth, "did he really bite?"

Faustina nods, "clamped down like Tik-Tok."

Daniel grins as he gestures with his hands, using them to 'bite' down on Faustina's hand.

"I see." She chuckles before she puts a hand on Daniel's head, "I guess my Beauty Girl is just as good at passing out Kraken worthy names."

Faustina smiles as her cheeks darken, "I'm glad it has your seal of approval, Captain."

She nods before she turns back to Daniel with a critical eye, "Guessin' you're gonna want a hammock next to T and Faustina's?"

Faustina turns to her in surprise, her eyes full of hope. "Really?"

She snorts before she pulls Faustina into a side hug, "of course. Why wouldn't we set up a sleep area for our new family member?"

The hope immediately turns to awe as Faustina stares at her in surprise.

"I know that look, just so you know," she reaches over and tussles Daniel's hair, "I've worn it several times."

"Thank you," Faustina's whispers softly, her head bowed in reverence, "for understanding." She continues, her voice cracking.

She looks down when something thuds into her side to find Daniel hugging her. "You interested in joining the family, then?"

Daniel nods emphatically as he hugs her tighter and nuzzles against her like Shrimpy would.

Warmth blooms in her chest.

It was weird.

There were so many children on the ship. So many they'd rescued-

But, this was the first time one of them hugged her.

He was just so tiny.

Fragile in her arms.

"Family ain't always easy," she explains as she takes a knee beside him, "but we do everything we can to help each other, think you can do that?"

Daniel meets her gaze before he nods firmly with a stern expression and hits his chest with his fist.

Green eyes.

She gasps before she looks up at Faustina.

They had the exact same green eyes.

"Strange, isn't it?" Faustina agrees as she studies Daniel curiously.

"Aye, but not in a bad way," she laughs as she stands, "made me do a double take though."

"He looks so much like how I remember T from when we were younger."

Daniel grins.

"Watch it, don't get too proud of that."

Like hell did she think she could handle another T. One was more than enough, thanks.

She frowns when she feels Daniel tug on her hand, "yes, Little Demon?"

Daniel's eyes narrow before he holds out two lock picks.

She snorts.

Of course, T's ward would be eager to learn lock picking..

"Oh, got the bug already, huh?"

"T promised to teach him after we found him," Faustina explains, "He's been very enthusiastic, but since we finished sorting the medical supplies I told him it would be best to get some rest first but-"

Daniel frowns as he shakes his head vehemently, before he looks up at her and holds out the picks in exasperation.

Damn, if he didn't already have the guppy eyes down.

Faustina chuckles, "since you're a higher rank than us, I think he wants to go over my head." She smiles affectionately as she tenderly caresses the boy's hair. "Especially now that he knows you and Harry are still awake."

"I see your name is well-earned." She chuckles.

Daniel nods proudly.

She looks back over her shoulder at Harry gently rubbing Deez's arm with one hand while his other rested in Gil's curls.

"You know what, Daniel, you won't get away with this often, but you caught us on a pretty sleepless night. I think I saw T smuggle some locks in here, why don't you go look for one."

He grins before he wiggles in Faustina's arms, clearly a demand to be released.

Faustina chuckles before she kisses the top of his head and places him on the ground.

"Sorry." She apologizes as Daniel excitedly takes off to look through the hand shaped cubbies and crates in the room, "I probably should have asked if you were okay with that first."

Faustina smiles, "It's alright," She shrugs. "T made it clear to him that you're the one in charge."

"Oh the irony." She crosses her arms over her chest as she rolls her eyes.

Faustina chuckles, "he's good for that," she agrees before she chews her lip. "But since you approved it, do you mind? If none of us are sleeping, I was hoping it might be okay to help Gil. His muscles have to be awfully sore after exerting himself so much yesterday, and I don't want him to feel incapacitated when he wakes…If that's okay?"

"Sea gods, I hadn't even thought about that." She rubs her forehead, "I can't believe I didn't- it's like I'm forgetting everything."

Faustina frowns as she hesitantly takes her other hand and squeezes it, "It's been a long couple of days, Captain, things are bound to slip when you're so worried you're not sleeping."

She chuckles to hide the tears trying to run down her cheeks, "I would really appreciate you helping our Sweet Boy out, Beauty Girl."

Faustina smiles kindly before she nods, "Of course Captain, I'll be back in a moment."

She nods and releases Faustina's hand after giving it one more squeeze.

"We'll find our new normal eventually," Faustina whispers, "We'll get through this, we can all help bear the weight of this burden. You're the leader, but you're not alone."

She pulls Faustina into a hug, wrapping her arms around the other girl tightly, "That I do try my damnedest to remember," she presses a light kiss to her shoulder, "thank you."

Faustina kisses her forehead. "Of course, Captain."

She smiles as she takes a step back, "go on, I can watch over the Wee Demon."

"Thank you," Faustina smiles.

"But if you know where a lock is, you might want to grab one." She winces as Daniel almost pulls a bag down on top of himself.

Sea gods only knew what was in it.

Faustina's eyes shine with affection, "he is quite stubborn. I'll make sure to find one." She nods before she disappears out the door.

Her eyes widen before she rushes behind Daniel, catching the box he was desperately trying to pull down.

"Okay," she opens the box and quickly searches it before sliding it back in place, "so Faustina is gonna look for a lock for you, how 'bout I show you how to hold the tools?"

Daniel pouts up at her, his green eyes locking with her.

He stares for a moment, as if weighing her suggestion, before nodding and holding his empty hand out, the other trapping the picks to his chest.

She smiles as she takes his offered hand and leads him over to an area with a few pillows near the bed of furs and blankets.

"Where Faustina be ah runnin' off'ta?" Harry asks as he inches up slightly to watch them.

"She's getting a lock for us to start practicing with, and the stuff to give Gil a massage, so he won't be so miserable when he wakes up." She frowns before she sits and pats the floor next to her, "Poor Sweet Boy nearly kept up with you and T."

"Aye," Harry nods, "An he be ah doin' a good job, fastest I ever be seein' him move."

Her poor Sweet Boy.

She hadn't had time to talk to him before he passed out after they finished patching Deez up.

She could only imagine the state he'd be in when he woke up.

Physically and emotionally.

Gil beat himself up over the wave hitting the cove. He never really said anything about it, but she could tell.

It was the way he stuck to Deez like glue. It was getting hard to picture one without the other, that's how often they were together.

His eyes never stopped moving as he stayed vigilant for signs of danger.

The wince whenever the waves crashed a little too loudly.

How he stood behind her protectively, ever his intimidating self.

The way he scooped her up at almost every sound.

How he seemed to need to touch her at every opportunity, his fingers sometimes trailing over the dislocated shoulder.

This was going to kill him.

Knowing she wasn't healing-well, the wounds had turned red, so she was actually healing, but she wasn't her healing.

She blinks when she feels a hard tug on her hand and then suddenly has a lap full of Daniel. "Oh, did I space out too long?"

He nods.

"I'm sorry."

He humphs as he nods again.

"You have the tools?"

He presents them to her.

"May I see them?" She asks as she holds her hand out flat, palm up.

His eyes narrow as he offers them to her, pulls them back, and then places them in her palm hesitantly.

"You keep this one in this hand," she says, holding the base pick up. She passes it back to him, "And this one goes in this hand." She hands it to him.

He nods as he takes them and starts moving the set in the air as if he were actually picking a lock.

"Huh... yeah, like that." She smiles, "But here's the thing about locks." She bends to look at him over his shoulder, "they can be very tricky, because they're not all the same."

He purses his lips to the side. He places both picks in one hand before he wraps his hand around her wrist and squeezes.

Her brow furrows.

Daniel looked old enough to talk, but he'd yet to say a word.

She chalked it up to everything being so new, and different, not to mention the hell this kid lived through.

But, could he talk?

"Got a question?"

Daniel nods before he squeezes her wrist again.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" she asks, biting her lip.

Daniel shakes his head before he frowns and points to his hand around her wrist.

Her brow furrows before she looks at the hand holding her wrist and sees the bruises, "Oh, you want to know how to unlock the kind that lock people?"

Daniel nods excitedly before he takes the picks and makes a cross.

"The way T unlocked yours?"

He tilts his head back to look at her before he nods.

She bites the inside of her cheek before she turns to Harry, "Do we still have chains on the ship?"

"Aye? The Wee Demon be wantin' to learn to pick those?" Harry asks, tilting his head.

"Yeah," She nods.

"Can ya both be ah workin' up here comfortable like?"

Oh, they were all going to be in some serious trouble if this kid already had Harry, T, and Faustina wrapped around their fingers.

"Aye, I believe we can be doin' that." Uma smiles at him, repositions them closer to Deez, then takes Harry's hand and kisses the back of it, saying, "Thank you, pretty boy."

She turns back to look at Daniel, "He's gonna go get the right lock for ya."

"Aye, I can be back quick." Harry winks before he walks over them.

Daniel pouts before he shoos him impatiently.

"Oh, Deez is going to love the hell out of you when she wakes up," she chuckles, shaking her head, before reaching out to place a hand on the blanket over her arm.

They had such similar looking pouts.

She jumps when Faustina suddenly kneels beside her with a bucket on her lap.

"Oh." She presses her hand to her chest. It always amazed her how easily Faustina could sneak up on them without giving off any kind of alert, "So Harry went to find a chain lock, because that's what Daniel wants to learn to pick first."

Faustina's eyes dim as they fall to Daniel, "That makes sense." She reaches over and runs a hand through his hair. "Still," she places the bucket next to them. "It's good to learn all types, but I get it. I learned padlocks first for a reason."

She frowns as she looks up before she finds herself smiling at a lock being thrust in her face, "Oh, am I getting some practice in here too?"

Faustina chuckles, "practice never hurts Captain, there's always room for improvement." She smiles.

She chuckles as she pulls her knee to her chest to retrieve her lock pick set, but bites her lip when she sees Daniel mimic her motions.

They were going to have to talk to Dizzy about getting him some clothes. And figure out something to do for shoes.

Daniel quickly adjusts to lean against her chest as he watches her start to pick the lock with an intensity that was impressive for a child his age.

Well, impressive, and heartbreaking.

At least the reason behind it.

How the hell this boy had survived, and for so long, in the witch's den was nothing short of a miracle, a testament to the boy's will to live.

She didn't miss the way Faustina's eyes kept flitting to them. The reflection of adoration and affection in them. The brightness that hadn't been there before.

It was a relief, like a breath of fresh air she hadn't been expecting. She never thought anything would ever chase away the lingering shadows that haunted her aged eyes.

It made her chest ache less, despite the situation they were in. She felt better having the family here instead of sending anyone away.

She was never doing that again. Not that she could right now, even if she wanted to.

It was exhausting keeping up with all the changes as they came, but that was actually the one thing about the Isle that hadn't changed.

Change. Everything. At any moment.

She sighs as she focuses on the lock she was trying to pick.

"I be findin' the one we be salvagin' from the camps." Harry announces as he enters the room again

Daniel jumps off her lap and rushes to Harry, his hand already extended.

"Ya be wantin' me ta show ya?" Harry asks as he drops one in the excited boy's grasp.

Daniel nods before racing back to jump on her lap and impatiently pats the ground next to him.

"Bossy huh," Harry says, shifting his gaze between her and Faustina, "can'nah be ' imaginin' where he be pickin' that up."

Faustina blushes as she turns her attention back to Gil.

"Fair." He casually holds his hands up.

She snorts, "Well, you heard 'im. Picked it up or not get your ass over here."

Harry chuckles as he slides down the wall to sit beside her, "Ya ain'nah havin' ah lack o' role models for behavin' like that." He grabs his lock picks from his boots, "Like this pirate here-" He grins widely, "Watch an' lets be ah seein' how fast I can be doin' this."

Daniel's eyes move to Harry's hands and watches him just as intensely as he had watched her.

Good, she needed a break.

She settles back against the stone as she turns to watch over Deez. She rests her hand over her blanketed arm as her gaze moves to Faustina.

It was always fascinating to watch her family when they massaged; they did things so different from each other.

Faustina's movements were almost hypnotic when she focused, like she lost herself completely in whatever task she set herself to.

She blinks when she realizes that Faustina was no longer wearing the overly large hoodie T was fucking attached to. It brings a small smile to her lips.

Faustina hated when things were overly complicated for no reason. Like trying to massage in a hoodie with sleeves that kept falling past her hands.

Her brow furrows when she sees a strange bruise on Faustina's forearm. It almost looked like a crescent moon. Or a-

Oh.

Her lips twitch.

Faustina hadn't been kidding. With the look of that bruise, she wouldn't be surprised if the boy had broken skin.

Her brows narrow as her eyes sweep over the girl, taking inventory.

Three.

She frowns at the bandages.

Not for the first time cursing T's stupid obsession with hoodies.

It was the only explanation for why she'd missed the fact their hand was wrapped.

Her eyes linger on the bandage over their wrist before she shifts it to the one covering her shoulder and frowns.

She knew the ointment numbed pain but-

She was wary of the severity of what lied beneath.

She wouldn't put it past her Problem Child or Beauty Girl to ignore their own injuries to help others.

Especially when that other happened to be Gil.

"Beauty Girl?"

"Yes Captain?" Faustina questions as she looks up from her work.

"How bad are you hurt?"

"Not horribly," Faustina says, returning her gaze to Gil.

She scowls at the vague response. "Beauty Girl."

Faustina bows her head, "truly Captain, they've been tended to."

"After ya be ah finishin' with our Sweet Boy, I can be ah gettin' ya inta fresh bandages." Harry offers quietly as he continues to guide Daniel.

"Aye, I can be ah waitin'," she states firmly.

She sighs.

She wanted the story.

Wanted to know the details.

Everything about what happened to her Baby Girl.

But, with T, Faustina, and Deez being the only ones to know what happened, there was a good chance they would never have the full story of what had been done.

Of how injuries were gotten.

Or things said.

Would Deez even remember?

Part of her prayed she wouldn't.

But, she had to be prepared for the worst.

It made her heart ache. Her fists clench. Her jaw tense.

Made her want to cry. Scream.

There had been so many injustices already, yet the storm kept coming.

How many more waves would they need to roll through?

How much more could they handle?

Were there any more witches on the isle capable of doing what Mim had? Did they have to constantly live in fear of someone else coming after Deez? Summoning her? Making her act against her will?

Which was something she knew would follow her Baby Girl for years.

Torture her? Torment her?

She swallows hard.

The hard answer was of course there were.

Her mother could probably do the same shit.

She bites back tears. Of anger. Of hurt. Of fear.

Even with this stolen moment of happiness, the world refused to stay at bay.

Would it always sneak up on her like this?

Remind her that nothing was right anymore; and sea gods knew there seemed to be less and less she could do about it every day.

Had she died during the storm?

Cause this certainly felt like hell.

Fuck man, right in the feels.

But at least there was some cuteness, right?

Please don't hate us!

We only do this to entertain you! Are you not entertained?

Cause if you're not, like seriously, tell us.

We truly do want to get this right. I don't know about Dark, but I truly do want to get some of our work published one day-

That's why I'm always such a shameless slut when it comes to begging for your thoughts and opinions.

It isn't just to stroke my ego-

Though that does go a long way…

It's to figure out what we need to improve on.

Any ways-

Welcome to the Sea Fam, lil' Demon.

Much love and shit

-Twisted