Team8s and Counting Onwards

207. Leaving it Open

Pin and Needle were getting the bakery ready to open. Everything that had happened over the past week regarding Flare filled their minds. She had finally gone back to school, though according to Thread, she was still understandably struggling.

Pin wiped down the counter while Needle restocked the pastry display, both of them working in practiced silence. The hum of the coffee machine in the background did little to soothe their nerves. Every motion felt heavier lately—more careful, more deliberate—like the entire bakery had absorbed the weight of everything that had happened.

"I packed Thread a little extra this morning," Needle said softly, arranging the last of the croissants. "Just in case she wants to share with Flare."

Pin glanced over, pausing with the rag in her hand. "That was sweet of you."

"I just..." Needle trailed off, closing the case gently. "How do you be a stay at home mom and not even have the time to pick your kid up from school and cook them a meal?"

Pin shook her head. "The minute I gave birth to Thread, we all knew that it was our job to love and raise her to the amazing girl she is."

Needle nodded in agreement. "Same thing with Dimey, and I think the rest of the adults in the house will agree with me when I say do anything to make sure all of our kids feel safe and supported."

Pin went back to cleaning the table, trying not to tear up. "I thought Flare was just asking for cooking tips to learn it as a hobby...I could have never imagined that she was doing it just to get herself food on the table...all because of that fucking bitch."

Needle couldn't help but be angry just thinking about Pencil. The bright leader of Freesmart, who looked after all those girls...the girl who's heart once belonged to Needle herself. She couldn't believe that that was the same Pencil who couldn't have a simple conversation with her daughter about a small part of that decade and a half of her life. "I always made sure Thread knew that the door was open if she wanted to talk about BFDI. I'm not proud of everything I did...but it's important that I share that with her, you know?"

Pin understood what Needle was saying, wishing she had that same attitude herself. Ever since Thread was born, she didn't want her to know what she was like back then. She fucked up in more ways than one, and for once, she finally had the chance to build a connection with someone who didn't have her past lingering in the back of her mind.

Pin scrubbed a little harder at the counter, as if the rag could erase more than just crumbs. "I thought if I didn't bring it up, it would just... fade away. Like it couldn't touch her if I didn't let it in."

Needle looked at her, her expression softening. "Pin...you knew we couldn't keep this a secret from her forever. She's related to Coiny, and we learned something from the gasoline incident, is that she gets her curiosity from him."

Pin shook her head fondly. "She's always wanted to know the why behind everything. It was only a matter of time before she started asking the harder questions."

Needle went quiet for a moment. While Pin had taken her medicine earlier that morning, knowing that the idea of Thread having watched the show was still very present in her mind, Pin was still having a hard time grasping the concept. "You know...I'm proud of how you handled everything Pin. I knew hearing about Thread watching BFDI was gonna be tough."

Pin nodded, wiping a tear from her eye. "It's still hard for me, you know. But after seeing what happened after Pencil didn't open up to Flare...it's gotten me thinking about my own relationship with Thread. I don't want her to think that I'm hiding anything from her, but at the same time..." Pin's eyes started to fill with tears, "I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it yet."

Needle stepped away from the pastry case and joined her at the counter, placing a gentle hand on Pin's back. "That's okay," she said softly. "You don't have to be ready right this second. But when you are... I know Thread will listen. She'll understand."

Pin let out a trembling breath, her shoulders finally slumping as if the weight she'd been carrying cracked open just a little. "She's such a good kid," she whispered. "She's brave. She sees people. I don't want her to see who I used to be and feel like I let her down."

"She won't," Needle assured her. "She already looks up to you. The fact that you've changed, that you're trying—that's what makes you someone to admire."

Pin's breath quivered, but she tried to collect herself as best as she could. "Maybe you're right."

Needle smiled, placing a hand on Pin's shoulder. "I think you need to take it one question at a time. You don't need to tell her everything at once, but I think you just need to leave the door open for her and let her come to you herself."

Pin managed to crack a smile through her tears. "Well...she did like the mech suit when I told her about it."

Needle let out a small chuckle. "Of course she does. You know why? Let's admit it, you were a fuckin badass in that mech suit. If you were able to do what you did on the show without any limbs, it shows Thread that being a paraplegic doesn't have to hold her back."

Pin blinked through the tears that still clung to her lashes. She knew Needle meant every word, but still, that fear—of being seen for who she used to be—clung tight. "Sometimes I wonder if I even deserve to be looked up to."

"You do," Needle said firmly. "Not because you were perfect. But because you grew. And you're still growing. And you never stopped loving Thread, even for a second."

Pin was starting to feel better. "You know, speaking of badass...maybe Dimey needs to know how awesome the woman who gave birth to him is. Let's face it, he's literally a clone of you!"

Needle snorted, the sound a welcome break in the heavy atmosphere. "Oh, don't give him any ideas. He already thinks he runs the house."

Pin laughed, the sound shaky but real. "Yeah, but he gets that spark from you. That confidence, that drive. He's going to do something big one day—I feel it."

They stood there for a moment, surrounded by the quiet hum of the bakery and the smells of cinnamon and butter and freshly brewed espresso. The day hadn't officially begun yet, but somehow, a small shift had already started inside them both.

"I think I might start writing it down," Pin said after a pause. "Everything I've been scared to say. Just in case it takes me a while to say it out loud."

Needle nodded, her voice soft and full of understanding. "That's a good idea. Maybe one day, she'll read it with you."

Pin nodded slowly, then reached out and gently squeezed Needle's hand. "Thanks. For being here. For knowing when to push me and when to just let me be scared."

"Anytime," Needle said, her grip firm and reassuring. "We're doing our best. That's all we can do."

Just then, the soft jingle of the front door broke the stillness as the first customer of the morning stepped in. Needle quickly moved behind the register while Pin finished wiping down the counter, her tears now dried and her mind a little clearer.

The world was still uncertain, and the past hadn't vanished, but the day had begun. And for now, that was enough.

...................................................

Eh, not my best work, and certainly on the shorter side, but you know what, I genuinely thought I was gonna cancel this chapter because of the chance of TPOT 17 coming out, but it didn't so you guys get this. Fingers crossed it's out before the next chapter! I don't have much to say, hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter!

- Sunny