Stillness

There was a stillness she hadn't felt in a long time.

A peace.

Deez finds herself smiling as Gil corrects Daniel's hold on the knife in his hand, showing the smaller boy how to gently carve away bits of wood.

The kid was fascinated.

It was adorable to see Gil demonstrate such gentleness.

"See. Ya don't have ta be all hard with it. Ya just see what's already there and take away the extra bits."

She snorts at Daniel's less than happy response.

"Yeah, it took me ah long time ta get it right, too."

She nods as she continues to write.

There was a stillness all around her, like the whole world was taking a breath.

If only she could bring the feeling inside her, instead of feeling as if she were on the outside looking in.

Out of place.

Out of step.

She couldn't find the right way to explain it.

And even if she could-

She sighs as she shoves the notebook away and carefully pushes herself to her feet, fighting to keep her breath even despite the strain she could feel on her back and abdomen.

Humans could be held together by string.

She'd never really thought about it before, just accepted that it was something that could stop bleeding and help an injury heal.

But now that it was her being held together by string?

One wrong move.

One twist too far.

Her fingers twist around the tips of her hair.

How did they do this?

How did T get shot and then go into another camp?

Her burning lungs catch her off guard.

"Treasure?"

She sucks in a gulp of air before she turns, surprised to find Gil had already crossed the room to her side.

"Sorry, I just, started thinking and, at some point, stopped breathing?"

Gil frowns as he brushes stray hairs behind her ear, "anything I can help ya with?"

She bites her lip as her eyes trace over the scars on his arm.

The scars that peeked out on his shoulders, leading under his vest to his back.

Did he feel strange like this every time he bled?

Her eyes drop to her hands.

"I'm just-" she squeezes her hands into fists, "adjusting, I guess."

Adjusting to being more mortal now that Mim broke her.

Gil frowns as he watches her for a moment, "that's fair," he sighs. "You've been through a lot, Treasure."

"We all have."

"I think," Gil kisses the top of her head, "ya may've taken the brunt of it."

The brunt?

Surely that was Uma?

Or T and Faustina.

She shakes her head before she forces a smile on her lips, "but we made it. We're all here, and now we can start focusing on the next steps."

She just wasn't sure what the next steps were going to be.

Food?

Rescue?

She sighs.

No.

Her first next step would be speaking with her father.

Why did it have to be now?

Why did he have to be here?

Why did getting back to help the Isle Borns rest on a conversation with her father?

She blinks in surprise when Gil rubs a finger across her cheek.

"Treasure," he whispers softly before she feels herself gently pulled to his chest.

She shakes her head as she wipes the palms of her hands over her eyes, "I need something to do." She says, as she looks up into his eyes, silently pleading he let this slide.

Gil pauses before he shuts his mouth and looks at her thoughtfully, "I," he frowns as his eyes sweep over her, "want to see what I've done with Uma's anklet?"

"You'll let me? I thought you didn't want me seeing them until you were done?"

He blushes with a sheepish grin, "I got a lot done while-" He pauses, "I only have the ship left to carve, and I'd love to know what you think."

She blinks at the reminder of how long she'd been out, but smiles as she tugs his hand.

She would have done anything, but this was a pleasant distraction.

Gil chuckles, "alright, alright." He stands up, "come on. They're in our room."

Daniel tilts his head to the side as he watches them.

"Coming?" Gil prompts.

He looks down at the crude stake in his hand before he sighs and tosses it over his shoulder.

"No one is good at anything when they first start." She reminds Daniel.

Daniel purses his lips to the side and rolls his eyes before he huffs and starts leading the way.

"I'm starting to think that's why T prefers hoodies." She whispers to Gil.

"Probably," Gil chuckles, "it's all in the face."

She slips her hand into his, lacing their fingers together as they follow Daniel.

Everything was going to be okay.

She was with her family, and she wasn't scared of her father showing up to drag her away.

It might not have been much, in light of everything else going on around them, but it was more than she'd ever had before.

Gil was happy now that he was sharing space with their Treasure.

Uma was happy her Sweet Boy and Baby Girl were both feeling better.

Yensid was babysitting the stupid God.

Now it was time for him to get what he wanted.

He slows as he reaches the arch leading into the cavernous lab, wanting to see where his Pirate Princess was in her experimenting or concocting.

He frowns when he finds her holding a small bottle in front of her face, glaring at the drought like it had offended her somehow.

He could only imagine how worried she was over her, albeit rash, summoning of Senior.

For better or worse, Faustina and T had a strange relationship with the God of Death that, somehow, usually, seemed to benefit them. More than he could have ever imagined.

It was hard to trust it.

Impossible.

But, it was easy to trust her. Them.

Faustina and T.

And if they believed, calling the god in for help was the best chance?

They didn't have to like it.

But he couldn't deny it was useful either.

He'd been so worried about Deez it had been difficult to focus on anything else, and he hadn't been the only other member of their family to lose themselves.

Uma and Gil had been nothing short of keeping vigil over their Fire Princess.

So, as upset as he'd been with T and Faustina for returning to the Isle without him-

As hurt as he'd been-

And then when she summoned the god-

He could see it now that the waters had calmed. Why they'd done everything they had since Mim. He hadn't liked it. But he could at least understand it.

Sometimes he had to act fast too. Take risks without talking it out with the family first.

They were usually much smaller in scale; splashes instead of tsunamis.

But what wasn't bigger right now?

His lips curve in amusement.

Well, look-it him having full-blown epiphanies all on his own.

He stands up taller.

Now all he needed to do was let her know he wasn't mad at her.

That they weren't mad at her.

And he needed to let her know soon.

She was still staring at her draught like it was withholding secrets from her.

"Hiya me Pirate Princess," he greets as he walks into the lab, "ya be bein' busy or can I be ah comin' in like?"

"Oh!" She startles before she turns to him, "my Prince," she smiles, "if you would like, I wouldn't mind at all."

"That be good ta hear," he chuckles as he walks to her side, "I be gettin' all bored after me an' Gil's fishin' expedition. Fourteen puny like fishes be gettin' spared the cookin' fire."

Her face pinches in concern before she shakes her head, "thank you, I know it isn't the most exciting of tasks, but it's a necessary one." She grimaces, "sorry, there aren't many volunteers to help at the moment."

"Don'nah be usin' yer worry on that none. It be bein' for the best that only I be ah addin' to the pond."

She closes her mouth before she nods, "aye, that's true, still we're going to have to assign people to the task soon enough, you're too important to the cause to be the sole fish farmer-"

He softly puts a finger to her lips, "I ain'nah bein' too important ta be tendin' the food problems."

She blushes, "sorry, that's not what I meant. I know that maintaining our supplies are important as well."

"Love, ya be thinkin' too many important thoughts all at once, like." He pulls her into a hug, "an' ya ain'nah gettin' no more from yer bottle there. Poor bastard be expirin' from that glare o' yers."

He chuckles as she hides the vial behind her back, "I've never thought about how long it takes to expire, that's an excellent point, we need to know if it would diminish or strengthen them."

He sighs, "I were ah tryin' ta say it be witherin' like, but I see where I be ah messin' up."

She snorts, "my glare is far from withering. T laughs at it all the time."

"I don'nah be supposin' yer glare ya save for T be the same glare ya be havin' when ya be tryin' ta solve ah problem."

"Huh," she blinks, "perhaps. T is challenging, but not a challenge."

"Aye, so what challenge ya be tryin' ta solve then?"

As if he needed to ask. She was always afraid of overstepping or hurting the family by doing what she thought was right.

She blushes as she looks away.

"Do ya be ah thinkin' yer Lion be wantin' ta bite yer head off?" He prompts.

She fiddles with her sleeve, "maybe a little."

He grins as he pulls himself up to sit on the table, so he can face her, "well then. Ya be in luck. See, me an' Sweet Boy be fishin' an' such. Then we be ah talkin' 'bout what be ah happenin'. Ta be sure we be on the same wave, I be ah settin' him straight on the 'why' his Treasure be awake at all, then I be ah sendin' him ta find her. It be ah calmin' him right down."

The relief in her sigh was palpable.

"Thank you for talking to him, my Prince."

"Course, Love." He chucks a finger under her chin, "I be ah swingin' by the Captain for ah wee chat afore I be ah trackin' ya down too."

"Oh?" She asks as she looks up at him, hopefully.

"Aye, she be ah fillin' me in on the Ol' Man's new role as babysitter. Uma actually be ah mite excited to see what Yensid be gettin' outta the god. He be ah takin' him off ta be workin' magic ta make it be ah lookin' like we still be ah sailin' 'round the Isle."

Her face brightens, "that would be so helpful," she smiles, "and I imagine fascinating to watch both the Lord of Death and Master Yensid collaborate."

"Aye, would be that indeed." He leans in close, "Love, I be ah needin' ta make sure ya be knowin' something."

He waits for her to look up.

"Yes, my Prince?"

"You be ah seein' ah reason ta trust the god. Yensid be seein' ah reason. So then we would be bein' idiots for not trustin' the two o' ya. Which we do be." He blinks before rushing to continue, "trustin' ya, I mean."

Her brows furrow as she watches him, several emotions flitting over her features before a slow blush creeps over her cheeks and a smile curves her lips, "That-" she bows her head, "you humble me, my Prince."

"I ain'nah doin' nothin' ya don'nah be deservin'." He takes her hand, "I also be wantin' ta let ya know how, even with all this crazy, the way the god be now, do be better than it were bein' afore. he ain'nah just showin' up an' throwin' fits like."

He pauses as his words settle between them.

His brow furrows, he'd always tried to push the strange dynamic of T and Senior out of his head. Especially once Faustina had gotten herself roped in.

Push away and willfully ignore.

It was always so terrifying to watch as Hades manhandled T. Left him feeling powerless.

And Senior's relationship with Faustina? Stranger, but still just as terrifying.

He'd nearly thrown up the day she'd launched off the dingy in a fit of rage that still haunted him. Cursing out the god with words he didn't even know she knew.

And the vehemence and fury?

He'd thought for sure he was going to lose her to Senior that day-

It would have made more sense, too, if he was being honest.

Senior had always been an incorrigible prick with a penchant for violence towards anyone that dared talk back to him.

Deez was proof of that.

He couldn't count the times he'd seen Senior belittle and hurt his daughter for the barest of offenses.

And he'd never forget the ache in his chest every time the god had summoned her. The look of resignation on Deez's face as all the life seemed to slip from her. It had been infuriating. Not being to do anything. Never able to save her from whatever hell her father was about to put her through.

Hell, he wasn't even sure it had been a full year since Senior had been plotting with Maleficent to break her in every sense of the word.

Giving her such a painful ultimatum.

Taking her away from them.

Uma, Gil, and him had been a fucking disaster in her absence. None of them able to reign it in to console the other. The pain had been palpable.

He wasn't sure what Uma and Gil would've done, it had been like a piece of them died at Mal's lie.

Gil had been drowning in guilt and despair, and Uma's outrage had been all consuming.

And he'd been lost on how to help-

But then T showed up and put an end to their misery.

And now? Not even a year later?

T and, more vexingly, Faustina had somehow managed to get the god to act almost human?

No matter how much he tried, he couldn't make sense of it. But it didn't change that it seemed to be true. Why else would the god act differently towards them?

Allow them, well, mostly T and Faustina, so much freedom in their interactions with him?

"I think that be yer doin' too." He admits with a soft smile, "which be all the more reason ta be givin' this ah chance."

Her eyes widen in surprise, "that's-" she pauses before she pulls him into a tight embrace, "thank you." She squeezes him tightly.

"Ya know, I be bein' the one tryin' ta thank you here," he squeezes her back, "thanks fer all ya be ah doin', even when ya ain'nah be sure how it be makin' ya look. I don'nah be knowin' any who could be showin' ah God ah way ta be changin' his thinkin', but look-it you. Ya be doin' it."

She nuzzles into him for a moment before she pulls back, "it's because he wants it. I'm just facilitating."

"The day that god finally be ah fuckin' figurin' out what he be ah wantin', the damn heroes might be ah throwin' ah damn parade."

She giggles, "too true, my Love." She places a hand on his cheek, "really, thank you." she says softly, "I know it couldn't have been an easy current to navigate, so, for you to have taken the time to alter your perspective? Thank you."

"I ain'nah bein' ah saint here," he quickly corrects, "I still ain'nah trustin' 'im. My trust be wholly placed in you. But, I do be ah seein' the changes."

She tilts her head, "I didn't mean to imply that you have completely altered your perception, but the fact you can see any changes in his behavior, even neutral changes, means a great deal to me. It takes a lot to challenge that kind of bias-When he'd never given us any reason to believe differently. I know it hasn't been a challenge any of us were expecting, but, I just appreciate you being so open."

Weren't that the damn truth.

The god was a challenge on any day, but this kind?

"Ya make it easy ta talk with ya." He pecks her on the cheek before he slides to the ground.

He still had one more goal he wanted to accomplish, now that he'd taken her mind off all the horrible things they couldn't solve yet.

"An' I think this be ah callin' for ah celebration." He takes her hand, "ya be havin' anythin' bubblin' that can'nah be left with the Tiny Princess?"

She shakes her head, "but I'm also not sure how comfortable she'll be with the Lord of Death present."

"Don'nah be worrin' 'bout that. Yensid be pullin' the god away for ah bit."

"Then, there's nothing here that the Tiny Princess couldn't handle."

"Well then, let's be ah checkin' in on the Lion, Lil' Demon, an' Treasure afore I be takin' ya ta get comfortable so we can be takin' notes on what be comin' next."

If there was one sure fire way to get Faustina to sleep, it would be this.

Get her to stay still.

Get her to write all her worries.

And then wait.

"Sounds good to me, my Prince."

How long ago had Jay gave him that advice?

Wait T out.

He smiles as he pulls her away from her lab.

Was that something that really worked on both of them? Or something that Faustina needed in order to let T calm down enough to sleep?

He wasn't sure. And since it worked, he wasn't willing to poke it to find out.

"I've actually always been curious about that. You wouldn't believe how souls in the Underworld talk, and when you've been around as long as I have, you start to notice the way things change."

"Indubitably." Yensid nods,"what surprises me is that you noticed."

"My job is rather boring, though I've been talking with Firebug and Arachne, so many great ideas for me to implement when we all get out of here. Eagerest insects I've ever met."

That.

That was the conversation they were having when she'd walked in for an update.

She looks between her uncle and Yensid blankly before she steps back out of the room.

No.

It was too late to touch that.

Ask what it meant.

Demand what he was inferring.

Question why that sounded like a normal-ish adult conversation.

Just.

No.

As long as Senior wasn't being an asshole to Yensid, the rest wasn't her problem tonight.

She was at her cap.

She'd done everything she could.

Fished deeper waters.

Talked with the crew and younger ones.

Approved resource uses.

She'd even done something called a town hall, where everyone who had a problem was able to come to her and voice it.

Faustina's idea.

All so she could sleep with her family.

Like Jones' locker was she about to get riled up and ruin it over her stupid uncle.

She takes a deep breath before she lets out a heavy sigh outside their cavern, mentally preparing to snap at everyone and force them to go to sleep.

But as she walks in, the command dies on her lips.

She bites her lips together to silence the happy laughter she could feel bubbling up inside.

They were all here.

And they were all passed out in the cutest ways possible.

Daniel seemed to have become the center, the small boy smiling in his sleep as he held Faustina's hand on one side, and had a fistful of Deez's hair in the other.

Her boys, ever the guardians that they were, were curled around her girls.

Where the hell was the damn camera?

"Umes-"

Well that wasn't Faustina. "T?"

T yawns as he scoots backwards into Harry and pats the fur next to him. "Here. Now."

She chuckles softly before she kicks her shoes off and tosses her hat away.

Of course, T would wake up to scold her.

She easily settles into the space between T and Daniel, smiling at the fact T was still holding Daniel's hand as she scrunches fur up to lay her head on.

T drapes his other arm over her and pulls her close.

"Thanks."

T grunts before he kisses the top of her head.

Look, look!

We managed character growth in a pile of fluff!

Ume's finding the fam asleep? *Squees obnoxiously* and of course T would alert to the sound in the room, and demand Uma join.

Dead.

Uma just ghosting on Senior and Yensid b/c 'fuck that' was priceless.

And the convo between Tina and Hook was just cute.

What did you guys think about Harry's thoughts?

What about T and Faustina makes the god act differently?

What the fuck is up with the dynamic?

Any of you have your own theories?

Cause I'd love to hear them, that shit happened naturally in our writing-

Senior was meant to be a real OV initially but then-

This shit.

Deez is certainly full of thoughts in this one-

Then again when isn't she.

Anyone else super happy she asked Gil for help or rather knew what she needed to help her?

Much love and appreciation

-Twisted