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I WAKE UP in an instant.
My head feels like shit, my torso feels like shit, and I definitely got whip lash from how I just decided to shoot up from this bed.
This bed.
"Hey, hey, hey, easy now." A voice helps ease me backwards, lying more comfortably.
"What's going on?" I wince, closing my eyes and trying to will away the headache.
"Well you ripped open your stitches and didn't tell anyone, so you got an infected wound and lost a lot of blood for starters." The voice scolds.
I blink a few times to stop the dizziness, trying to get away from the blurriness.
"Faith?" The voice repeats.
I blink one more time and am grateful to be met with a familiar set of red wispy hair, glasses and endearing eyes.
"Gloria?" I mumble the word, feeling out my neck for more comfortability.
"That's right," She hums with a little laugh, "It's me."
"What the fuck?" Are my first words - which really seems to amuse her.
"Exactly my reaction." A different voice joins in.
"Oh shit, Captain Irons, what are you doing here?" I ask with zero filter.
"Watching over you." He says.
"That's a little ominous." I respond.
He cracks a grin.
Before any of us can get used to this new normality - weird normality - the door bursts wide open, revealing a purple haired girl wearing a unicorn onesie.
"OH MY GOD!" Are her words to me.
She drops the bunches and unhealthy amounts of snacks that were previously in her arms to the ground. She takes a step forward, hesitates, and runs back out of them room.
"What the-"
"SHE'S AWAKE!" Her words echo loudly down the hall, interrupting me.
Then I hear more footsteps. Running footsteps.
Suddenly three teenagers are collapsing and bursting into my hospital room, rushing straight up to my bed and creating a ruckus.
"Faith!" Alyona slings her arms ver me, "Oh god, everyone was so worried you'd never wake up, like you're a dead sleeper - you look like a fucking vampire-"
"Hold on," I raise a finger, "I'm so confused, what's going on? Why am I here?"
"Your stitches." Jake speaks up. "They tore while we were at the motel and you lost a lot of blood."
"What stitches?" I squint.
"From when that guy stabbed you? When we were beefing with Alexei because he betrayed us? Ring a bell?" Eka snaps her fingers a little too sassily for a kid talking to a temporary cripple.
Wait.
"Alexei." I say quickly, rushing the word.
"Faith-"
"Is he okay? I pressed down on the wound firm enough, tell me it worked-"
"Slow down," Captain Irons tells me, placing a hand on my arm, "You're getting a little worked up for someone who has been out so long-"
"Slow down?" I repeat with a scoff, ripping my arm away and slinging my legs over the hospital bed, ripping out some weird doctor shit attached to my arm in the process.
"Faith, you've been unconscious for two days, I think it's best you sit down when we tell you this." Irons stands up as well, everyone else in the room on edge and looking at me like I'm the most fragile thing in the room - which, despite my injures, is definitely the furthest from true.
"You can't expect me to be still - where's Alexei?" I demand, inching closer to the door.
"He's...gone." Eka says.
"What?" I exclaim. She opens her mouth to speak again but I leave he room before she can.
Being around people right now will probably kill them. If there's one thing about grieving, dealing - whatever - it's that you have to do it alone.
I'm trying so hard not to cry right now as I walk down the hospital halls, willing myself not to allow tears out - because then that confirms it all. That confirms he's gone. He can't be gone.
I swear to god if he's...what the fuck.
Standing at a vending machine, only a few feet away from me - is the fuck head himself.
He looks up after picking a can from he dispenser, and when he sees me he freezes. The can is long forgotten.
He wastes no time making his way towards me, arms out as he grabs me and pushes me into him in seconds.
I enjoy the moment for a bit, but then I pull out, and slap him.
He stands there stunned.
"You fucking idiot," I say not hiding my relief, frustration or annoyance, "Never do that again, ever - who the fuck takes a bullet to the chest out of nowhere, you need psychological help! Like you're demented. Get help you fucking idiot."
He's silent. Shocked. And then he's laughing. Loudly, genuinely, and I realise I've never heard him or seen him laugh this way, but then I'm realising he's laughing in a moment like this - and then I'm mad again.
"Stop laughing." I frown.
"I'm sorry," He continues to laugh anyway, "I'm sorry. I'm just really glad you're okay."
"You're the one who got shot." I stab his chest with a finger.
"Eh," He waves a hand, "I'm fine now. You're the one who hid your wound and got knocked out for like a week."
"Two days is not even close to a week."
"Felt like it," He shrugs, "In fact it felt like a year - I'm very deprived."
"Yeah well too bad." I suppress a smile.
"I love you." He says very quickly - out of nowhere - mood in his voice and tone suddenly changed. Changed as in nervous. I've never seen him nervous.
"That was fast." Is all I say, trying to push down the butterflies in my stomach.
"I loved you when you handcuffed me at that bar - right after I taunted you as the Volk because I killed that Ezekiel guy." He declares.
"Ethan."
"Whatever."
"You're horrible."
"I'm in love with you."
I smile. And then he kisses me, both hands cupping my face and pulling me flat against him, hands in my hair, fingers playing with strands, kiss passionate and hard.
"I love you." He repeats again, resting his forehead against mine.
"Don't overuse it, you'll get bored." I joke.
He doesn't laugh, "Never say that."
"...okay."
He smiles, "Good. Love you."
"Love you too." I mumble, looking down at my hands.
"Hm? What was that?"
"IguessIloveyoutoo." I say louder.
"Slower."
"No."
"Guys - I hate to interrupt - but we need to regroup now." Gloria appears out of nowhere, eyeing Alexei protectively.
"Fiiiine." Alexei whines, grabbing my hands and pulling me down the hallway away from Gloria as she stops to get a drink from the vending machine. "Are you my girlfriend now? Is a bullet enough to have earned it?"
"I suppose." I say with a sigh.
"You suppose?" He frowns.
"Yeah, like, I guess so." I shrug.
"You guess so?"
"Mmhm."
"No - say it with your chest-"
"Guys." Eka's voice reels us back in, pulling me by my arm and into my room again.
"Oh have I got a bone to pick with you." I frown at her, wagging a finger.
"Why-"
"Gone? What kind of word is that to use - gone? Are you kidding me?"
"Look, I haven't slept, it's been a very long day - cut me some slack." Is her defense.
I might kill her. Then we'll all have more to mourn.
I snuggle under my blankets again - more comfortable in the warmth now that I know everyone is okay.
Except Stone.
"Faith," Captain Irons starts, "What happened? After you left from the precinct-"
"We drove away to a run down motel, and were bombarded." I interrupt, knowing where his line of questioning was headed.
"And the key? Were you able to get the key back?" He asks with a little desperation.
He doesn't know. I look to Alyona, Eka, Jake, Alexei. None of them told him. They were leaving it up to me.
I face Captain Irons.
"No. We didn't." I lie.
Victor Romano is a cruel, heartless monster. But I'm a rational, emotional monster - and I also understand the meaning of value. Value of this key and who it is owed to.
The answer? No one.
They key - some little weight that might have the answer to what happened to the Sphinx's nose or some shit - isn't meant for us. It wasn't made for us, no one on Earth including ourselves deserves it enough, and therefore; the police precinct shouldn't have it either.
"And..." I swallow before asking the question, "Stone?"
Captain Irons immediately looks uncomfortable. Gloria turns her face to the side, lets her hair fall over her eyes. Alyona stays still, hands intertwined between her legs as she looks ahead. Everyone else seems to be matching that vibe.
"Dead." Alyona says. "I'm sorry."
I inhale shakily to stop the tears from falling. Tears aren't any good right now.
I only just got my brother back this year. All because I was emotional and brooding - because I thought I was too strong to have him around. Which I guess I was right about. Because with him around, I wasn't strong enough to keep him alive.
"The motel burned down pretty badly because of the kerosene," Captain Irons clears his throat, "His body...there's nothing left of it."
"There isn't?" I repeat, voice a little thick.
"No." He shakes his head softly.
"Okay." I say to no one. What else can I say? Other than fuck you, why couldn't you let me bleed out - thanks for not letting me bleed out - how do I stop the aching in my chest?
"You've been here two days nows," Captain Irons says tightly, "The lot of you - except Jake - have committed a lot of unforgivable crimes. You're going to be on trial."
Great. You kill a few people, and suddenly you're a murderer. Fuck, that sounds like something Eka would say.
"They're expecting you after your recovery," He tells me, "And your chances aren't very optimistic."
"Splendid." Sarcasm drips off my tongue.
"But..." He looks at Gloria for a moment before turning to me, "We figured out a way to have that...not happen."
"Oh?" I raise my brows.
"I will definitely lose my job if anyone finds out I did this - but there's a car waiting out front the hospital. It'll take you to a private helicopter which will then fly you to California. There you guys will start off low. Silent. No attention. Eventually you can get back into the way of things."
"And Jake?" Eka asks.
"He'll be returning home."
"Hah," Jake scoffs, "Home. You mean my father's run down shack he's barely ever in anyway?"
"No actually," Gloria smiles - eyes a little red from before, "I'm taking a page out of Faith's book. You'll be staying with me."
"Is that even legal?" Jake asks, hope still peering through in his voice despite the skepticism.
"I'm a lawyer sweetie." She smiles.
Then she turns to me.
"Here." She holds out a sheet, passing the slip over to me.
"What's this?" I ask.
"An official form that can sign Alyona and Ekaterina as a Jones." She tells me.
My eyes dart up from the paper to hers, "Seriously?"
"Mmhm." She nods with a grin.
"Actually?"
"Actually."
"You're not my mother though," Alyona speaks up, "We're still step sisters."
"Sure buddy." I smile.
"Wait so I don't get to be a Jones?" Alexei speaks up with a pout.
"You'll have to marry her for that one Lex." Eka pats his shoulder.
He turns to me with puppy dog eyes.
"No." I say instantly - knowing where his mind is going.
"We can't even get eloped?" He asks with a whine.
"No - you don't just marry people you've known less than a year!" I scold.
"Sure - but let's be real - we've kind of found the final one." He shrugs.
"The final what?" I blink, urging him.
"We're not breaking up. Ever." His confidence is unmatched.
"Not even if I say so?" I tilt my head.
"You won't want to." He scoffs.
I bite back a smile.
"Alright," Eka claps her hands together, "Let's get on a helicopter bitches. Gloria and Jake - you two come with us for farewells."
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The car ride is nice. It's long and uneventful - I'm the best way possible.
Alexei ignores every car law ever - lying down horizontally on my lap in the back row with zero regard for a seatbelt.
Everyone sleeps or naps - except for myself and Captain Irons who drives the vehicle.
There's something on my mind though, amongst other things.
Other than the dread and regret. Two things overwhelming, but things I know will heal.
It'll be okay. Eventually.
"Pull over." I request quickly, holding my hands in Alexei's hair to keep him calm.
"Why?" Irons looks at me through the rear view mirror, a little skepticism written across his face.
"I need to pee." I say quickly.
"Oh," He says, "Sure. Yup. Pulling over now."
He pulls over quickly - probably trying to seem as respectable of womanly fluids as he can. Which is sweet I suppose.
I hop out of the car, trudging down a quick trail into the woods - far away from everyone in the car.
There's a ruby in my palm now. One originally in my pocket.
I'm grateful they didn't bother putting me in a hospital gown. That they kept my bloodied clothes on from the motel.
Obviously now I've changed. In more ways than one. I took the key with me in the middle of my change, not exactly knowing what I'd do with it - only that I needed to get rid of it.
So I stand here. In the middle of a forest. I close my eyes, smell some petrichor, listen for the wind to tell me what to do.
All it can do is whisper. But I think I got the message. Thanks Mother Nature, you're a real one.
I kneel down slowly, cupping a part of the dirt that's moist. I dig until there's enough room to leave the ruby, and once I do, I cover the dirt on top of it with haste.
It's all done.
I return to the car. With everyone. My everyone.
We all sit and nap in the muck for a moment. The weird combination of us.
A boy from the south side who spent more of his time alone rather than surrounded - surprisingly.
A girl from an orphanage who knows more about the government than they know about themselves.
A lawyer with hair kissed by fire who let the flames reach her heart.
A captain raised wrong, with the will to change.
An idiot with little definition for love, and more experience for violence.
A princess who traded her dresses for guns.
And a pretty darn good detective.
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wc: 2522
So. We did that.
DO NOT SKIP THE NEXT PART TITLED 'THE END' !!!
If you do, you miss out on an announcement you'll want to hear. (As well as my thank you and some explanations on alternate plot directions I almost went with ;) )
Gloria on watch for Falexei:
- Juana.