Hybrids: An Indoraptor Story ✓

Dominion

"It's n-not your fault," Tommy whispered, planting kisses against their foreheads. "Please don't blame yourself."

"We walked away from you..." whimpered Sarah. "But we're not going anywhere, dad."

"I know," Tommy exhaled, brushing away his tears as they withdrew. "I know... But it's okay. You're here. You're okay, and look at you! All grown up! And doing well, I assume."

Both girls nodded; Tommy beamed.

"Mom would be proud. I know she would."

"And you," added Sarah, chuckling softly. "After saving that town from those monsters, she'd be over the moon!"

Tommy's smile nearly faded, the grip on the indoraptor fang tightening. He looked to the white sheets, eyes glistening once more in mourning. Abbey's eyes softened.

"Dad, what is it?"

He looked to his hand where the fang was held and moved it before them both. All three visitors glanced over at the tooth, studying its features as the Marine spoke.

"Her name was Autumn..." Tommy huffed. "But I called her Seven, because, to me, she was my lucky charm. She... filled the hole in my heart that I... that I couldn't bear. And she wasn't a monster... not all of them were."

Tommy paused briefly, shakily inhaling to hold himself together.

"You know, I wanted to go, I did," He whimpered softly. "I told it to her so many times, I b-begged for it. Because losing you... and Janet... was a burden I couldn't l-live with. And I thought..."

He trailed off, eyes tearing up in shame.

"I thought I could... bury it. So I... I'd hide her. I'd leave her. I'd do everything in my power to protect her from harm, and if the world was going to end, I swore I'd be the first to go, not J-Janet, a-and not you. And then the world did end. But..."

Tommy slowly closed his hands around the tooth, eyes watering in pain. Another heavy exhale let the waterfall run freely, but he tried to contain it, chuckling and shaking his head over and over again. It didn't help. Looking back to the tooth, he began to shiver, reimagining those last few seconds running to her as that tailclub swung down. Lunging for her scales to push her away, only for her to swing her claw at him, and tear a line through his chest. And just in time, too; he was too helpless to save her before the sickening crunch echoed the sky, her broken body cracking like an egg shell. Then there was nothing, but the body of what she once was. Tommy blinked back, clenching the tooth harder, then releasing.

"I s-still don't know why. I hadn't done a-anything right..."

"N-No, you have," Abbey countered, nodding her head weakly. "You have, and she knew it. Y-You went through hell and back to keep her alive, she must've seen that if she did it. What happened... was not your fault!"

"And Janet?" croaked Tommy. The girl's breath trembled, eyes closing in sadness.

"We wouldn't have been alive... if not for you. And Mom knew that. She believed that..."

Abbey whimpered, folding her arms together in sorrow. "A-And I'm sorry... I put that thought in your head, dad. I pushed you away and made you think that it was your fault, I g-grieved... looking for s-someone to blame when t-there was no reason to; if there's anyone to hate it's m-me."

Tommy smiled weakly. "No. I pushed you away. I missed her so much... too much to think of either of you. It took me so much time to understand that I couldn't kill the past, or my mistakes. No matter who I blame, it can't be undone. I... we... just have to remember the good now, that's all. But, at least now..." He pulled the girls in for one more hug. "I have two reasons to go on."