𝖈𝖔𝖉𝖋𝖎𝖘𝖍

He was sure his boss had seen him and Tink on New Year's, but Smee had waited until after, just to be sure that there was news even to tell. He'd been unconvinced the two would last an entire evening together, in public, but Tink still wanted to be his girlfriend, and Oliver was still on a mission to squeeze every bit of information out of her that he possibly could. As grimy as it felt to have that be his motive, the blonde was after something, too: a mutually beneficial relationship never hurt anyone.

"Alright, I wanted t'wait until after the test run in public to tell ya, but I've got news, sir," he admitted, a grin creeping on his lips as he waited to drop the needle on the news he'd been holding in for a bit. "I had to be sure we were gonna really do this, y'know? I thought she was pranking me or something, I bloody swear, but Tink's asked to go out with me." He was sure the disbelief would come: Oliver had felt it himself. "I'm her boyfriend now."

A smile crept onto his face as the boy across from him spoke, at least something was working out well and his second hand was becoming the prodigy James needed. Hook swirled the melting ice in his glass to incorporate it into the whiskey while he listened to the story unfold. This wasn't the trajectory he had planned but it worked out even better, the boy finding a way to have become the blonde's boyfriend. James took to his feet, taking to the bar car to pour a glass of his top shelf for his employee. "You earned it, kid," he said sliding the cup across the desk. "I don't know how the fuck you managed to do that but it's the first step. You're gaining her trust, and with Pan out of the picture, it's the perfect time." Things were coming together and at this rate, he might have a way into the Lost Boys personal lives before he knew it. "Have you got anything good out of her?" Not that this news wasn't enough but James couldn't deny his curiosity and this was what he paid the boy for after all.

“No apologies needed. It wasn’t your fault, it wasn’t anyone’s fault but my own. And Tristan’s - but certainly not yours,” she reassures him, even though she knows the chances of him believing it were likely slim to none. As far as Lilah was concerned, he had been there to get her out of a situation that likely could have been her end - and that was what he needed to focus on. What he had done, not what he hadn’t been around to prevent. She had chosen to leave the crowd of the party, despite knowing the risk of being followed, that was all on her. And the violence… well, that was all Tramp. “Is he – where is Tristan?” It was a question she wasn’t sure if he would have an answer to, but one she needed to know.

He didn't want to overwhelm an already sensitive situation, for once actually considering the emotions of another. Lilah had always been an expectation of his rules and this was no different as he fumbled over what to say or tried to not push a boundary with his actions. It had never been a secret that his feelings for her hadn't faltered but didn't wish to force them on her, especially not now. Instead, James kept his distance and returned to the chair he'd kept at her bedside, wishing to give her space if it was desired, having already smothered her enough. "No need to thank me," he assured, only wishing there was more he could do or it was his fists that pounded her ex's face in. Buster had beaten them to the punch and it was a good thing the man got there when he had, Hook's fists tightening at the thought of Lilah continuing to face Tramp's wrath.

"Doesn't mean I wish he'd never laid a hand on you." It was a given but he wished to solidify in her mind the care he had. That wouldn't fix the damage or make anything better yet he still tried. When the elephant in the room was finally approached the man exhaled, relaxing back into the seat while he tried to decipher the right thing to say. In most scenarios, it would be the cut-and-dry answer, never being one to sugarcoat things, but this deserved more thought. An exhale was all he gave at first before sitting up to deliver the news. "You don't have to worry about him anymore," James said slowly, hoping she followed without the explicit term. "Buster made sure of it." And if he hadn't, James would've, but that wasn't anything she needed to hear in that moment.

A genuine smile quirks at her lips as the lights dimmed and she felt her body relax. It was easier to see, even though the room was darker now than before, and she no longer felt so on edge with the giant fluorescents burning down on her. Before she can even ask about her children, James seems to know exactly what she was going to say and she lets out a breath of relief at the fact that none of them are here yet. There was no need to worry them, not while things had still been so out of their control. “And they’re okay, right?” she asks, assuming they must be otherwise that would have hopefully been the first thing he told her. “Tristan didn’t get to any of them? And the girl? There was – there was a girl that stepped in. What… what did he do to her?” She was almost afraid to hear the answer and the heart monitor attached to her side began beeping at a faster rate as she asked each question, the stress and worry sparking as her mind began to go over all the possible outcomes there could have been. Tristan had been on a rampage that night. If that girl hadn’t distracted him… Well, Lilah was fairly certain if it hadn’t been for her, she wouldn’t be sitting here alive right now. Which was a horrifying realization. Yes, she had always had the fear in the back of her mind that one day her ex-husband would kill her… But she hadn’t ever let herself truly come to terms with that possibility. Yes, she had feared for her life in his presence before, but never had it come quite so close as now… Never had she felt so completely unprepared to deal with him and fully at his mercy with nothing she could do to stop him… Her eyes begin to sting at the memory of that thought and she closes them tightly to prevent the tears that she fears are going to fall.

Fine, it was a word with more weight than one might believe. James expected nothing less than Lilah putting on her strongest face and masking whatever pain she was still in. Regardless, he wanted to make sure in case there was something specific that was bothering her. The man hadn't much to offer in terms of soothing the physical pain her ex-husband had caused but he would give what he could to make her comfortable. After dimming the harsh lightning he noticed the woman settled slightly which made a smile hide beneath his beard, a small gesture but that was the confirmation he needed to continue caring for her in his own way.

"They're all safe, and none the wiser," James reassured. Most people might've reached out to her children to let them know what occurred yet he had done nothing of the sort. What the Deare kids didn't know wouldn't hurt them at least in this scenario, leaving it to Lilah to tell them whenever she was ready, for now letting them live in ignorant bliss. "Atta got her out of there, she'll be alright." He didn't know what for certain but the lack of word from Buster made him believe the girl would make a full recovery. In all honesty, James hadn't much considered Dot when it was the woman in the bed beside him that had nearly made his heart stop when he saw the condition Tramp left her in. Lilah tried to hide the emotions that consumed her but he read through the facade, not knowing how else to support her than by taking her hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you Lilah and I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure he never lays a hand on you again."

It was potentially not the best thing for her current state of being, relaxing the way she did once her stress over the safety of her children had been relieved - for even as she held onto James’s hand with the little strength she had, Lilah found herself beginning to fade. Without that sharp sense of dread and concern keeping her moving, the absolute exhaustion and overwhelming desire to just close her eyes and drift off to sleep came rushing back. Her eyes opened and closed in slow, steady blinks a few times before she finally couldn’t find it in herself to force them open anymore. The world turned to black and that was the last thing she could remember for the rest of the drive.

~ timeskip to after she wakes up ~

There was a numbness throughout her entire body that was a stark contrast to the thumping pain in her head that had woken her up. Though her eyes were already closed, she tightened them shut even more so in an attempt to block out the blazing light that seemed to surround her. A steady beeping slowly filled the room, her senses waking up one at a time as she struggled to regain consciousness. There was a hand holding hers, strong and familiar in a way she couldn’t quite pinpoint how, but she gave it a squeeze nonetheless, knowing instinctively it was someone she could trust. That simple movement seemed to be the last piece needed to have Lilah fully awake and present. A groan escapes her lips from the pain in her head and the stiffness of her body, though she doesn’t dare attempt to move at all to stretch or relieve any of it. Opening her eyes for one brief second, she immediately closes them again after being assaulted by the blinding light that was far brighter than she could have even imagined. Another whimper accompanied the next quick blink she took and then the second one after that, until she had readjusted enough to actually be able to keep them open and see just where she was.

The sight of the man at her side, hunched over with his head resting by her leg on the edge of the bed she was laying upon, started to bring back some of the memories of just exactly how she had wound up here. The fight with Tristan, her head smashing into a wall multiple times, Hook driving her to wherever it was she was now… it all came back in a rush. There were gaps of course, pieces missing that left her with so many questions and very few answers. The most important of which being just where her children were and whether or not they had been involved or tracked down by Tramp after he had finished with her. She remembers a girl, shouting out and stopping her ex-husband from continuing on his rampage with her, and Lilah needs to know what had happened to her. Shaking her hand as best she could, she fought to try to wake the man that had saved her life. “James,” she whispers at first, voice rough and coming out almost more like a croak than anything else. Coughing a few times, she cleared her throat despite the pain that came with it, so as to speak loudly enough to actually get his attention. “James. James - wake up.” There was a flash of guilt that ran through her for doing this - he had likely done so much over however long it’s been since he found her, he deserved to rest - but she needed to know what was going on and just exactly what had happened.

The sound of her heartbeat on the monitor was all he had as reassurance that she would come back. The night had come and gone; the sun had caught up with them as well as James' lack of sleep. After enough time the beeping had become a soothing sound that lulled him to sleep. Even his thoughts couldn't escape the thought of her, Lilah appearing in a dream as she was before Tristan had gotten there. She was a vision but just out of reach. As the images in his head fought one another it was a voice that brought back reality, combining the woman in his mind with the one called for him. James popped back up into alert as his eyes scanned the room to make sure nothing unexpected had entered while he was incapacitated. "You're awake," he yawned, eyes settling on Lilah once assured nothing else had shifted. "Are you feeling okay?" The cough was enough to send him to nuture, making certain she was relaxing after the entire ordeal. While he knew people who could help her without involving a hospital or any of the paperwork, James couldn't help but worry. It wasn't in his nature until it came to Lilah then he was unable to help himself.

"Why don't we turn these the fuck down, huh?" He offered getting to his feet and flicking off some of the lights that filled the room. James came back to sit at the foot of her bed, not wanting to push the boundaries he feared he might've already. "I haven't told any of the kids that you're here, I figured you could tell them when you're ready." It was obvious to him that the last thing Lilah would've wanted as it was in her nature to put them before herself. "But you're good to stay and recover here for as long as you need, it's all been taken care of."

At the thought of her kids and the mention of needing to hold on and stay strong for them a wave of panic rushes through her, enough so to almost have her throwing up right then and there but she fights it back as best she can, letting out more small noises of pain and protest before the nausea subsides and she can think a bit clearer again. Though things were still fuzzy, the one thought came through stronger than anything else. “The kids,” she parrots back, those two words coming out clear before the rest of her speech gets slurred. “Where – where are … Tristan - he, he, he can’t. Can’t go near them…” For a brief moment she attempts to make a move to get out of the car, to go find her kids instead of getting herself to safety, but she’s too weak to do anything more than shuffle to the side slightly before giving up. With how angry her ex-husband had been, with the amount of force and rage he had shown against her, there was no telling what he would do to any of the children if he found them. Once upon a time Lilah had fooled herself into believing if she let him do whatever he wanted to her, he would never touch the kids - but now all bets were off on just where Tristan Tramp would ever draw the line. And that thought terrified her more than anything else, more than her own fate being so up in the air right now.

James knew he'd misspoke the moment after it left his lips, her demeanor changing at the mention of her children. It was something he'd become used to since knowing her was the ferocity with which she loved her kids. While that hadn't been the childhood he experienced, the man had a great deal of respect for that strength and the ability to love beyond herself. He'd never considered having a child of his own but as time went on the realization that Oliver had filled that role was coming into view. "They're safe," he assured quickly. "Buster took care of Tramp, it's okay." She needed to stay put so he extended an arm to keep her steady, taking her hand in the process as his other remained on the wheel.

Keeping calm in a situation like this was something James was used to but when it was Lilah who bled in his passenger seat his heart rate was unusually high. If there was anyone who deserved the best it was her and yet the woman continued to be dealt a shitty hand by her ex-husband's deck. "He isn't going to be able to get anywhere near them right now, I promise." The details of what had occurred didn't need to be shared, knowing that all she needed right now was to know her children were out of harm's way. James fought his lead foot and the importance of time to keep the car from jolting her uncomfortably. "We're almost there. We're going to get you help and it's all going to be fine." Unsure now if he was convincing her or himself.

At the feeling of hands on her face again, she lets out a groan involuntarily and forces her eyes to open once more. “Ja - James,” she slurs out, unable to say anything more than that. As he lifts her up from the ground, a small whimper escapes her as she closes her eyes tight against the pain and dizziness that came with the movement. It’s necessary, she knows somewhere in the back of her mind, but all she really wants to is to be left alone, to fall asleep right where she was and let herself drift away from everything around her. But instead she huddles into herself, curling against the arms holding her up and carrying her, praying that this would just be over soon.

It's bad, it's so bad he didn't want to say. Instead, he did all he could at the moment which was to get her out of there. A Rolodex of names went through his head, uncertain which would be the one to call for such an injury as this. The head was never somewhere you wanted to see blood come from and certainly not this much. "I've got you," his voice reassures softly. Tristan Tramp had done it again and James couldn't help but take some blame for not having seen her before he did. All he could do now was find her safety and help, putting up a silent prayer this wouldn't be the last time he heard her say his name. There wasn't time to grab Oliver and the boy was working on another job anyway, which meant James would be handling this one on his own. "First we're gonna get you in my car, okay? Then I'm gonna call some people and we're going to get you a doctor."

That was step one, he thought while setting her in the passenger seat as gently as possible. A seat belt was necessary but knowing it would cause her discomfort made him uneasy putting the strap around her. "I'm sorry," the man muttered before it clipped into place. "All I need you to do is stay with me, okay? I know you can, you're the strongest woman I know." After all he'd seen her go through if anyone could survive this it was going to be Lilah. "Your kids need you." And maybe so did he but that wasn't what she needed to hear right now. James knew if anything would help her keep fighting it was the thought of her children.

A soft but dry and humorless laugh escapes her at his own apology, one that was absolutely without a doubt unnecessary to be offered. “It’s my own fault, not anyone else’s. I made my life choices and now I must deal with their consequences,” she states simply, the exact way of thinking her parents had instilled in her ever since she had first confided in them about Tristan’s abuse. He was the man she had chosen to marry, to stay with and put up with his bullshit for so long, then to eventually leave and finally put in a shallow, pointless grave. All of this had been brought upon herself, something she sadly believed to be the honest truth despite the fact that it was the exact opposite of what she would have told any of her clients or other victims of similar situations. Her hand came to lightly sit atop of his own upon her shoulder, returning the squeeze with a gentle one of her one. “I know. And that’s all I can really ask for anyone. I don’t know if anything will be enough to ever really put a stop to him.” At least it was beginning to feel like. Her hope of finding a way to officially get her ex-husband out of her life lessening each and every week. There had been a brief stretch of a solid lead a few months ago that had Lilah actually thinking things might turn around, but that had been fading the longer it took to ever hear back.

༝༝ 🏴‍☠️ ༝༝

It had all happened so fast, too fast for his liking. One moment he is watching Oliver with his latest project which was seemingly going well thus far. That was until it was brought to his attention that Lilah had been hurt and within seconds he was pushing through bodies to reach her in time. He didn't bother asking any questions or even sticking around long enough to hear anything else, needing to know nothing more than James needed to get to her. Once in the courtyard, he searched for any sign of her location before falling on the spot where it all went down and went to her aid. A hand took her cheek to ensure she was still with them though the same thief had stolen the brightness in her eyes. "I'd kill him if someone hadn't beaten me to it," he muttered beneath his breath, gathering her into his arms so as to not make her exert any extra energy walking. "I'm going to get you somewhere safe where we can get you help." Hospitals were out of the question there was too much to explain that they wouldn't have answers to. "You're going to be fine, just stay with me, alright?"

James had shifted his attention to the bar cart now, preparing a celebratory drink for the two of them. Things were actually looking up for a plan that could've gone straight into the garbage if not handled correctly. It wasn't that James had doubted his protege's abilities but knew his methodology could be a bit rocky when it came to women in particular. Somehow he'd gotten through to her and come back with information that made Hook's entire year. "Wendy Darling is dating a pornstar? Now those were words I never thought I'd hear in the same sentence," he said, a laugh already pouring out too. "I can't imagine the rest of the crew is holding together much better without their fearless leader, aye?" A smirk had formed where his smile sat moments earlier. After all this time of hoping for an Isle without Pan, Hook had finally gotten what he wished for. With his hand, James held out a glass for the younger boy and then offered his own glass for cheers. "You did good, my boy," he stated placing his hand firmly on Oliver's shoulder. "This is only the beginning." To James, a world without Pan was one full of possibilities and now he was certain who would be conditioned to one day take his place.

“Sorry. For bombarding you like that,” she apologizes sheepishly, glancing back over at the dance floor for a moment just to ensure Tristan wasn’t nearby before returning her attention to James. The question of whether she was hurt was sadly a necessary one, considering her past with her ex-husband, but thankfully hadn’t been the case this particular evening. “I’m fine. He didn’t do anything, but I didn’t want to offer him the opportunity to change that. He goes from thinking he’s still in love with me in one breath to wanting me dead in the next.” There were angry red marks on her arms that stated different than what Lilah actually said, but simply being held too tightly by the man hardly counted as anything of note in her mind anymore. That was simply a part of any interaction with Tramp that didn’t go the way he wanted.

It wasn't his place to hold her after a run-in with her sad excuse for an ex-husband, but Hook had been glad it could be for right now. Whatever she needed from him, the man would offer tenfold. Though rare that the James Hook ever made attachments his affection for the woman in his arms was undeniable. Still, knowing well that this was as far as their relationship would go anymore, he found comfort in her presence nonetheless. All he wanted to be certain of now was that she felt the same when it came to knowing Tristan wouldn't be able to lay a hand on her with James around. "You don't need to apologize, Lilah," he said assertively to show his sincerity. "I am always here for you." While the words were simple to say the man meant every word.

James hadn't been surprised to hear that her ex had flown off the handle, his emotions being anything but predictable. "Of course, he never knows what he wants. I'm just sorry he's picked you to terrorize." Their marriage had certainly seemed to unravel as did Tristan's lies. It wasn't that Hook was all that innocent, his prosthetic hand to prove it, but he knew for certain he wouldn't treat a woman that way. Lilah in particular was unlike any he'd met before and the thought of how she'd been treated made him want to make sure next time Tristan went to a grave, he stayed there. "It isn't want you want but I can send my very best after him," he half-smiled hoping she saw the care behind the words. "If there's anything I can do, never hesitate to ask." James squeezed her shoulder with his hand since even when he tried he was drawn to her like a magnet. "At least for tonight I can promise you he won't get within ten feet of you."

A single dance with her ex-husband had been more than enough for Lilah to be ready to full on simply leave, to return to her own home and curl up in bed to pretend like none of this ever happened. But leaving now would not only be letting Tristan win, it would also leave her far more vulnerable. Chances were high he would follow her and she was fully aware of that fact - which meant staying and simply praying that he didn’t approach her again was going to have to be enough. Fleeing from his arms, she hadn’t originally had a clue where she was going, eyes wide as she scanned the room in search of someone, anyone, that she knew to help her get away from Tramp. He was still watching her, ready to jump back in and claim her again, she could feel it. With a racing heart, Lilah moved throughout the crowd only stopping when she finally saw a familiar face - one that immediately had her breathing in relief.

It wasn’t how she wanted to keep meeting at events like this, on the run from her ex-husband, but what was she to do? There were very few people that Tramp knew better than to mess with and with Colin not attending this particular party, the list of options for a safe reprieve were quite slim. Luckily for her, James still remained firmly on that list - and it didn’t hurt that she had been meaning to find him at some point during the night. Moving right up to his side, one hand grabbed his arm while the other rested on his chest, her eyes still scanning the crowd in search of Tristan’s following figure. “Oh thank god,” she breathed out quietly in relief as she finally begins to relax ever so slightly. A small but still tense smile grows on her face as she looks up at the man she had all but ran right into. “Hi. I’m sorry - I didn’t mean to bombard you like this. Again. But do you, uhm, do you have a moment? Tristan’s here and I… I’d rather not have to face him again. One dance was more than enough.” She hoped it didn’t sound like she was only using him to get away from Tramp, but she could apologize for that once the man had finally gone away.

James hadn't really wanted to come to this thing, having never been one for parties himself but it was the fact he needn't worry about the flying boy's presence that convinced him. After all this time, there was a sense of freedom he felt with the accomplishment that for now Pan had left the Isle and his band of misfits were on their own. It wasn't them that Hook had ever been worried about, even finding one of them far more powerful than Pan could ever be but that never changed their hierarchy. His costume wasn't much, a pirate being his go-to for these sorts of things since it was mostly compiled of pieces he already had. It was also the only day of the year that he was able to screw on a hook for a hand which was usually a bit too on the nose. He had lingered on the edges of the crowd, sticking to observation over conversation.

Faces he recognized came and went. None of which made him wish to strike up a conversation but one had caught his eye. Before James even had a chance to speak Lilah closed the space between them and her words filling him in on what exactly had brought the strain from her expression. Worry creased his features while listening to her explanation, his arm pulling her to his chest before she'd even finished. "Don't worry, you're safe now," the man assured her before releasing her to not overstep. That didn't mean he wouldn't be having a word with her deadbeat ex-husband after getting her settled after their encounter. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" His jaw tightened at the very thought, wanting to put his fist through the man's face before he'd even see it.

It was the biggest revelation he'd had to date with the blonde, one so groundbreaking that it simply could not wait until the morning to tell his boss. It was past midnight, and he was drunk, but Smee had gotten a ride from the bar to his boss' house. If it wasn't so important that he thought Hook might actually be mad at him for not telling him sooner, Oliver would've been embarrassed to show up like this. But, as he knocked urgently at James' door, there was no turning back now. "Open up!" he shouted, hardly caring if he was disturbing his boss' neighbors. Oliver continued his raps on the door until James came to open it, looking clearly annoyed at how much noise he was making at this hour of the night. "I promise, this is worth it, okay? Don't kill me," Oliver insisted, drunkenly pushing past his boss into his own house as he knew he might've needed to take a seat for this one. "You were right: the plan worked, the one with Tink. She's heartbroken, devastated, the whole lot, because Peter Pan is gone. He's bloody picked up and left the island, and they don't know when he'll be back. He's gone," Smee repeated, practically ready to burst with how excited he was, both by the news, and that it was him who'd discovered it.

While he wasn't asleep, the last thing James had expected was anyone to come rapping on his door at that hour. The man released a low grumble as the knocking continued and forced him up from the chair he practically lived in when he was home. "I'm coming," Hook yelled back, tossing the rest of his whiskey down so that he could leave the glass behind. Once the front door was open a drunken Oliver was stumbling past and James' eyes rolled as he waited for what he assumed would be not worth this visit. "Yeah, I bet it is, and if it's not you're going to be shoveling the fish guts." A job no one wanted but Oliver had earned a time or two. Hook expected this to be the same as always, settling back into his chair and awaiting whatever news the boy brought him. That was until the words started to come out of Smee's mouth. James leaned forward, wanting to savor every moment of what he'd been waiting for. "You're bloody joking," a huff of laughter emerged as he reached to put his hands on the younger male's shoulders. "An Isle without Pan, about fuckin' time." An actual smile had taken the place of Hook's usual scowl. After all this time, for a moment, he was free of the boy who ruined it all. "Finally, something actually works in our favor. I knew you could do it," James said giving the boy's hair a ruffle with his mitt of a hand. "What's he doing over in the mainland?"

It seemed that the two weren't all that different after all but neither knew their actions were more heroic than accidental. While James didn't want to show his concern, he silently hoped that the boy understood him coming was how that got displayed. His boss wasn't a man of many words, especially not those that came from the heart, but James was worried about Oliver upon getting the news. "Ah, don't worry about it." The man brushed off the injury with a wave of his hand as if it were nothing, not wanting his successor to see the softer side of James Hook. Not that Oliver hadn't earned that but from the side of the dock his boss was raised the emotions of a man were never to be seen. "Fucker got lucky you didn't, I would've taken at least a finger for this," he muttered while pulling one of the chairs over to take a seat. Once James had settled in with his arms folded he got a good look at the damage that had been done. "Take the next few weeks off to get yourself fixed up. We'll have a lot to do when you come back, they're talking about opening the borders after this so at least they did us that favor," he said referring to the people that were now stained with their blood.

While his actions had appeared as calculated he hadn't thought at all, only knowing one thing and that was he needed to make sure his kids were safe. After having a less than ideal parental figure growing up the man had never thought about having any of his own but finding a sense of protection coming over him when around Lilah's. The closest thing he'd ever had to a child was a son, Smee being like his own even though there was no blood relation. That same guard coming over him when Scamp was put in danger and James acted out of his heart instead of his head. It had been a common theme when Lilah was around and he the walls he'd made certain to always keep up. She'd become a weakness which was why James made sure no one else knew about the care he had for her. If she was tied to him, she wasn't safe, and he knew being the girlfriend of Hopper already put her in enough danger, the last thing he wanted was to add to that.

It was her choice to close the distance between them which he happily welcomed, his arms holding her close to savor the moment. James couldn't recall the last time he held anyone like this and silently took it in the closeness he had come to miss. Her warmth radiated in her smile but having her against his chest made it hard for James to let go. As he looked down at her in his arms the man gave her a small smile, not just anyone able to get one out of him. "Of course, I'd do it again too even if the shot was a few inches over." The arrow hadn't done much damage but he wouldn't have changed a thing even if it had. "I hope you know I'll always protect them if I can. I am just happy they're all alright." A sentiment he meant, having not gone to the festival to attack but finding out that he wanted to protect someone else more. "I did have to, they're yours and I'd do whatever means necessary to make sure they're safe."

The promise that he did indeed have to protect them, that he’d do whatever it took to keep them safe, warmed her heart and made taking a step away far harder than it should have been. The relationship they shared was long over, a newfound friendship taking its place instead, yet Lilah still couldn’t stop her thoughts from straying. Remembering how great things had been between them, how safe and secure she had always felt around him, and how much he had truly cared about not only her but her daughters as well. But that was all in the past. She had gotten scared and ran away, like it seems she always does. And she was happy now. She had Colin and she truly wouldn’t trade him in for anyone else in the world, but there was still a small part of her that can’t help but wonder during moments like this what it might have been like had she not been so quick to put an end to things with James. Though right now wasn’t the time nor place to be thinking like that, and the realiztion of that fact hits her like a lightning strike. Finally pulling completely away, taking the dreaded step out of his arms, she tucks a strand of hand behind her ears and gives him a somewhat sheepish grin, hoping he can’t tell what she might have been thinking. “Oh,” she breathes, remembering something she had meant to ask him far earlier. “How are all of your friends, by the way? I’m sorry, I was so distracted by my kids’ situations, I completely forgot to ask about you. Is everyone okay?” Truthfully, she mostly means Oliver, but it feels rude to not at least inquire about the rest of his men as well.

No one had ever cared what happened to him, not even his own family. She had always been different than the rest of the lot and maybe that's what brought her to him in the first place. Whatever Lilah saw in him was all James ever wanted to be seen for, no one's eyes seeing through him in the same way. A man made of steel had found the fire he needed to melt away the shackles of his past. As he looked down at her now he could feel that strange warmth in his chest, the one that only she could provide. Whatever she'd done to him those years ago hadn't dimensioned but changed shape into what they were now and he fought the urge to make it anything different. "Don't worry about me, they haven't been able to get me yet," he half-joked, knowing that James faced bigger threats in his daily routine. For being a man that had already lost a hand he figured there wasn't much left to be worried about. In fact, it was her children being put in harm's way that had shifted something in him and brought forth action. That was the thing about Lilah, she changed everything. "Always." The man placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head in hopes that he didn't overstep and simply sealed the truth that they both spoke.

The distance that formed between them was necessary but he wished he could've held on for a bit longer. Before anything else foolish could come from his mouth she'd filled the silence with a question. One that brought out a soft chuckle from the man, knowing that she worded it the way she did when he had so few people close to him. "Oliver's doin' alright now. He got a pretty nasty wound but they got him fixed up and he's going to be back to annoying me before I know it," James assured her. "I think he's actually got some girl staying with him as he recovers so I'd say he's doin' better than me."