𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞

𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙊.      𝙈𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙎.   

when carrie had imagined death, it had been quick. instead, it was a pang, a deep ache, as her lungs struggled to maintain her breath. her blood spilling out into the field that surrounded her, the smell of smoke heavy in the air. it was a cruel irony that her mother had been the beginning and end of her life. the lord giveth and taketh away, she thought, the voice of her mother never fully silenced in her mind. she licked her lips, trying to cover the wound with her hand, applying pressure. her beautiful pink dress had grown iron red, shiny underneath the street lights.

eleanor is adjusting to their little life. they had been cooped up in their house long enough that it felt normal to nell. there were paint samples strewn about the home and she had decided that nesting was the proper way to handle this crisis. it kept her mind busy, and for that, she was eternally grateful. being in such close proximity to jules should have been joyful, but all she could feel was the stagnant weight of stress in the air.

♡  ˙  *  ✧     she’d put a lot of thought and time into the decorations around the room. christmas was one of her favorite times of year, and barbie wanted to make it special for the kids around the hospital. carlisle had been an amazing help, but so had sheriff swan. barbie would say she’s surprised that the quiet man had a soft heart, but that wouldn’t be true - she could tell he was kind from the moment she had met him. evidence of him showing up in full santa costume to really get the kids into the spirit. barbie can’t help but smile, the way charlie interacts with the children. she’s always known he was a good dad ; this had only proved that point.

‘ i think santa can have whatever he wants, considering all the joy he’s spread today, ’  the nurse laughs behind one dainty hand, bell on her elf hat jingling slightly as her shoulders lift and fall. barbie grabs him a cup, pouring in some of the jolly juice, as she called it, and adding a straw for good measure.  ‘ i think so! everyone seemed to have a good time. you really made all of their days. they’re going to have a wonderful christmas! ’  even if the day hadn’t gone as they expected, barbie would have found something to be positive about. lucky for them, it had gone better. she grabs her own cup and takes a drink of the punch.  ‘ you are the perfect santa, charlie. i hope you had fun, too! you deserve a little bit of fun, now and then, ’

charlie smiles behind his faux beard. charlie took the cup from barbie as he looked down at the swirly straw. there always seemed to be an edge of fun that was prevalent here. he takes a sip of the punch before looking out at the kids again. “i’m glad that i could help out.” he said after a moment. charlie, while participating in the joy, certainly didn’t feel responsible for it. “it’s nothing compared to the joy you all bring to these kids every day. i don’t know how you do it.” he said quietly. 

he shrugged his shoulder, “wanted to make sure this christmas was special, you know? it’s the first time in a couple of years that bella’s been willing to visit. i don’t get as many moment with her as i’d like, and it’s growing up so fast. i thought it could be a good thing for the kids, but maybe for her too.” he took another sip of his juice. “sorry the holidays make me sentimental.”

             what  happened  to  the  days  of  loyalty?  when  you  could  rely  on  your  fellow  man  and  rest  assured  that that  they  could  be  trusted?  harry  didn’t  know  which  was  worse  —  that  someone  was  betraying  the  kingsmen,  or  that  he  couldn’t  figure  out  who  it  was. they  were  clearly  deep  in  their  shared  organization  ;  a  professional,  someone  who’s  been  doing  this  for  a  LONG TIME. which  made  the  situation  that  much  harder. agent  walks  nonchalantly  down  the  sidewalk,  every  so  often  checking  over  his  shoulder,  using  the  scanner  within  his  shades  to  search  for  eavesdroppers  before  he  strolls  into  the  tea  shop. he’s  the  first  to  arrive,  and  so  he  orders  a  hot  pot  of  tea,  greeting  kit  with  a  nod  when  she  settled  into  her  seat.

‘ indeed.  i  do  believe  we’re  safe.  for  now, ’   harry  is  more  than  aware  that  chaos  and  bloodshed  could  begin  at  any  moment,  but  the  shop  they  sat  in  was  at  least  quiet,  the  backroom  isolated. hand  reaches  forward  towards  the  teapot,  pouring  them  each  a  cup.   ‘ i’ve  taken  the  liberty  of  picking  the  tea.  hope  you  don’t  mind, ’   as  a  GENTLEMAN,  harry  offered  kit  the  cream  and  sugar  first  before  he  took  his  own.   ‘  english  breakfast, ’   he  says  as  an  afterthought,  the  man  finally  exchanging  his  sunglasses  for  his  regular  ones,  eyes  settling  on  kit  with  fondness.  ‘ it’s  good  to  see  you,  old  friend.  but  i  am  sorry  it  is  under  such  unfortunate  circumstances,  ’

loyalty was everything to kit. there’s a a hazy memory of those she used to hold dear prior to the schism. a figure of a count who she no longer knew remained in her memory. she exhales when he says that they are safe. careful fingers unpin her hat from her hair as she sits across from harry. it had been a long awhile she had laid eyes on him. “good. it’s meddlesome enough out there without the world keeping to friends from talking.” there’s a smile at the end of the sentence, the rigidity of her character slipping away to something more comfortable. 

“if we met under better circumstances we would not be ourselves.” she said nod of her head. while both of them valued their friendships it was work that appeared to be their true priority. she lumped some of the sugar into her tea, stirring in the cream. “what are these dire circumstances i’ve come to hear so much about?”

             the story was believable enough, but was it too convincing? there just so happens to be a photograph of his biological parents waiting in a box somewhere for him. one that his adoptive parents had kept, even though they kept the identities of janette and marcus hidden from him until his father died. it wouldn’t sound suspicious to anyone else, but fin always had to be on guard. it was the only way he had ever stayed alive. he could be polite, but trust didn’t come easy to the hunter. it hadn’t for a long time, and for good reason. glancing down at the photo again, eyes linger at his dead mother and his missing father, only glancing over the baby in their arms before fin looks back up to the now grown sawyer.

‘ must’ve been wild, looking everything up and finding me and, uh - well, y’know. everything i do, ’  most people thought his videos were fake ; just really good special effects. it was probably better, that way. at sawyer’s last sentence, finley pauses, wondering how much he was willing to tell sawyer after having just met not moments ago.  ‘ i’m assuming you didn’t find much about them. right? just vague files, stuff that didn’t really lead anywhere, ’  another pause is taken, fingers continuing to tap on his mug.  ‘ what they did, um… well, they did what i do. kind’ve. it was a little different, but… ’  finley trails off, now leaning forward, never breaking eye contact with sawyer.  ‘ i’m gonna be honest, i’m not sure i can trust you. i’m good at, like, reading people - my gut usually tells me when i’m in trouble, so… how do i know i can trust you? ’  it was a simple enough question to him, one he waits for an answer to before he continues.

sawyer was trying to make sense of it himself. he found himself replaying the details over and over again. not because it was a ruse he was trying to maintain, but he was trying to smooth out the questions in his mind. he would have through that his mother and father would have been more forthright with him about his parentage. lying was never taken lightly in the dunn household so the fact that they could do it so easily is what unnerved him. what had scared his parents so much they didn’t even dare to talk about it?