Arise.

Morgan typically got a fair amount of weird stares when he was in public in his work scrubs. He knew that, visually, he wasn’t your typical nurse. But today he couldn’t figure out why everyone was looking at him with a slight terror in his eyes. Sure, he was tall and tattooed, but he’d never thought of himself as a particularly intimidating presence. It wasn’t until he spotted a tabloid front page that reminded him the world was in the middle of a pandemic and his work uniform was sure to scream ‘look at me, I’m infected’. “Maybe I should change.” he spoke aloud to no one in particular, holding up the tabloid. 

Jemma was, unfortunately, on her way home from work to begin her process of self-quarantine as she was considered “non-essential staff” to the Asylum. The patients were all very well regulated and hadn’t needed any changes to medication lately, so she could go home for the time being and still be on-call for video consults if needed. She walked down the street towards her car but a voice distracted her. She looked over and spotted Morgan, in his scrubs, and she looked down at herself as well. “Crap, maybe we both need to. I should have brought a spare set of clothes to work with me. Hell, I’m on my way home anyway, what’s a little bit longer?” she mused, showing him a smile.

Clarice couldn’t help but grin at Jemma, her arms crossing over her spandex-covered torso. “You really have a point there,” she muttered, her eyebrows lifting. Juno was like a mini Clarice but with an angry streak, and the tiny blonde in front of her had been capable of wrangling her in for long enough now that the brunette knew not to push her buttons, which is why she dropped the subject now. “It’s funny because I never got jealous when I saw him with other girls. But with Caspian? You look at him the wrong way and my inner harpy goes fucking feral.” Clari shook her head at herself, her brows pulling together after a moment. “Did I use that in the right context? Feral? My son taught it to me so I feel like I’m using it wrong.” She chuckled to herself at the thought, almost hoping she’d used it wrong specifically for the comedic factor.

“But the last time she had a boyfriend, it was different. At this point, you need to follow her lead and hope that she’s being honest with you about these things. I would hope that she doesn’t fall back into bad habits.” Clarice’s whole body moved with the gentle sigh that moved through her, a look of sympathy crossing her features. “Don’t you think you should be taking that as a good sign, though? I really do think you just need to trust her on this one, Jem. Save yourself the stress.”

Jemma just giggled a little bit more at hearing her talk about Caspian and her jealousy. It was cute, seeing her this way. She’d always wanted happiness for her taller friend, and she’d finally found it. She looked up towards the sky, thinking about the other girl’s question. “I think so? Though, when I think of harpies they all seem pretty feral so I don’t know what the difference would be,” she stated. “We really need to get with the times, bro.”

She thought about what Clarice was saying, and she was exactly right. Juno was very much an adult with very much her own life to take ahold of at this point. “I don’t think she’d lie to me about anything anymore, actually she’s more likely to be way more honest than I really need her to be,” she got almost a grossed out look on her face. “Yeah, I guess it is a good sign. But if she gets hurt again will you help me hide the body?” she asked, putting an obvious sarcastic smile over her features.

“The next thing you know, you’re gonna see me covered in body glitter.”  He paused for a moment.  “Or her covered in bite marks.  I can’t tell which is more likely at this point.”  He chose to ignore her comment him letting go of his worries, focusing instead on anything else she had to say.  “Well…. I suppose that’s true.  I’ve always sort of just been a doormat though, I think you need someone more like Clarice to really let everyone know they mean business.”

“You really think she’d go all Twilight on you?” Jemma laughed, probably louder than she should have. “That’s an interesting picture,” she added, covering her laugh with her elbow. “That’s fair. She really is a firecracker, that one. Part of me wonders how the two of you manage it, but then I see you together and it makes sense...” she mused out loud. “I guess you’re my real-life version of relationship goals?” she put her hands up in a full shrug at that point. It was a funny thing to admit, but it was true.

“I just don’t get it!”  Dom protested.  “I can barely even fathom sitting though a regular rom com, let alone a Christmas one in fucking March.”  He shook his head a little.  “But what do I know, I’m just the jaded old police captain.”

“Of course you can’t, you’re a guy,” she shrugged. “Not to be sexist or anything, but guys don’t typically go for romance movies. Straight guys, anyway,” she added. “So. Doomsday is upon us, are you prepping to be under quarantine or just doing some light stocking up?” she asked, glancing around the store to see what they still had.

“Don’t even try to give me that look, Joseph,” Clarice said, her tone flat as she glared at her friend. “He knew very well what he was leaving behind, Jem. The difference is he just didn’t care. He only proposed to me because he saw how close Caspian and I were, and even then our relationship didn’t progress any. Ethan was just Ethan; I have to see him every single day at work and he pretends not to know who I am, and I like it that way.” The brunette sighed, leveling her gaze at Jemma. “I’m not admitting that. You can’t make me.”

Reaching up, she smoothed another hand over her hair, knowing the first ting on her agenda at home was taking a nice, long shower. “There’s a boy?! Since when does Juju take interest in boys? She hates every single person.” Clarice shook her head, nearly scowling. “Max falls in love really easily. At least, he gets lost in people easily. He loved Dallas way back when, but that’s different now. But…he did have a boyfriend in college that he fell completely for. It was hard for me to accept that.”

“Oh I’m giving you that look. You forget, I deal with a one-inch taller than me version of you that’s just blonde but angrier on a daily basis, your height doesn’t intimidate me,” she argued, keeping her arms crossed over her chest in stubbornness. If there was one thing she had to maintain, it was her stubborn attitude. “Jealous lovers tend to act rashly. He was selfish and showed his true colors, that’s all we need to know,” she added, somehow thinking she was wise even though she’d never been even close to in the same boat. 

She put her hands up in protest when Clarice responded to what she’d said. “I know, I know. It’s fucking crazy. The last time she had a boy, we had to relocate and I had to become more of a mother bear than I’ve ever been. Clari, I don’t think I can top that this time,” she looked at her friend with an expression of nervousness. “See, that’s how they’re different. Juno doesn’t fall in love. At all. Quickly or otherwise,” she ran a hand through her hair in reaction to the sudden stress she felt. “I don’t even think she was really in love the first time. But she’s walking around like Ariel or some shit, it’s freaking me out,” she shuddered.

Clarice was blushing now, and she brought a hand to her face to try to cover it up. She’d never been one to accept compliments very well, so the fact that Jemma was hyping her up so much made her glance in each direction, almost nervously. “Oh please,” she half-whined. “If you recall, I was engaged for five years before marriage even happened! And I didn’t even marry that person! I don’t think looks has anything to do with that, not in the slightest. Can’t use that against me.” Luckily her blush had subsided by now, replaced with a wide smile. “Max was a very chill kid, apart from his baby complex. There was also the small issue of him not speaking English until he was seven, but I’ve quickly learned that was a personal choice on his part. While Juno is very personable but chooses not to be, Max is a nervous little shrimp that just does not people well.”

As Clarice argued, Jemma’s face twisted into almost a grumpy look. She was, of course, being completely sarcastic with said look, but she never wanted her friends to think so low of themselves. “I do recall, but that person didn’t know what the hell he was doing or what he was about to leave behind,” she crossed her arms. “I’ll use it against you as long as I have to. Admit it, you’re a full on babe,” she added.

She nodded in agreement. “Yeah that would complicate things a bit, it’s a weird choice for a child to make even if French was his first language,” she suggested with a small shrug. “Sometimes I wish Juno didn’t people so well. There’s a boy in the picture now,” she informed the other, her eyes widening on the word ‘boy’. “Has Max ever been in love?” she asked, tipping her head to the side and scratching behind one ear.

“I mean of course I don’t want to offend you either!” He cleared his throat and lifted the coffee to his lips again as he felt his ears heat in a slight blush at the topic. He’d never been the type to discuss any sort of details about what happened between him and someone else. “I understand.” He nodded a little. “I promise I won’t do anything to upset or hurt her” He murmured 

This was really beginning to feel like an awkward mess, so Jemma began to back off a little. “It doesn’t matter,” she muttered, shaking her head and hearing all of what he said. Obviously the two had something going on that she couldn’t interfere with or she’d feel guilty about ruining a possibly good thing. But that didn’t mean she had to fully accept this guy with open arms. “I’ll hold you to that, man,” she informed him, turning on her heel but looking back at him one more time before leaving. “Enjoy the coffee. Like I said, it’s what Juno gets,” she added before walking out.

“Oh lord don’t give her ideas like that,” Caspian groaned, running a hand over his face.  “Between being in the media and having a sixteen year old, I have plenty to worry about at any given time, I assure you,” he sighed a little, chewing on his lower lip. “People?  Or just you?  Because I don’t feel like anyone particularly thought I belonged there.”

“And why not? As I said, I’m positive she’s already thought about it anyway. And I like getting her to laugh,” she shrugged, listening to what he said. “I hope you’re able to let those worries go once in a while,” she added, narrowing her eyes a little bit and tilting her head at what he said next. “More people than just me, I promise! Most of them are just too wrapped up in their own duties to realize that the orderlies are there to help,” she pointed out, putting her hand out in protest. She didn’t want him to feel like he had been out of place at all at the Asylum.

“we can hope, can’t we?” liam chuckled softly. “i don’t think we’re ever going to be that lucky in derry but who knows?” he knew things were strange around here and that always had been but that was part of living here. “you should. that would be sweet. what kind of puppy are you thinking about getting?”

“Yeah, there’s always hope,” she said with a positive tone. “I’m curious, do you usually wish for a boy or a girl?” she asked, a smile curling onto her face. “Oh, I don’t know, something big probably, so he or she can protect us if needed, and also big so we can get the warmest of snuggles. Maybe like a mastiff or a saint bernard?” she mused, only mentioning a few ideas she’d been having. “It also has to get along with cats, cause Juno has her naked goblin-cat that wanders around,” she added with a small smirk.

Juno’s posture fell at her sister’s confession, suddenly feeling guilty for nagging her all the time. She hated being analyzed as a child, and she certainly hated it now; but that didn’t mean she needed to bring Jemma down with her negative attitude in the process. “Sometimes it’s just a lot, Jem. I understand that it’s how you distract yourself, and I respect it. But maybe…just try to not think about it sometimes? Or at least try for me?”

Juno’s face went sour again, her foot stomping much like a small child. “You call me cute and I hate it!” she whined softly, keeping her green eyes on her sister. “I’ll never get tired of your pancakes, Jemmy. But I will eventually get tired of you calling me cute for no damn reason,” she teased, the soft smile finally returning to her features. 

Jemma finished up in the bathroom and went back over to the girl, quickly putting an arm around her and brushing her hair through with one hand. “I’ll try, but only because it’s you,” she let go of her sister and backed off. She was glad that the two had this kind of jovial relationship where they could get mad at each other and then in the next second be snugglebuds again. “It’s not my fault that you just don’t believe the reason anyone gives you,” she mentioned, teasing the younger a little bit. She began rifling through her drawers looking for what she wanted to wear. “Go get ready, I’ll be in the living room when I’m dressed,” she said with a small laugh.

She couldn’t help the snort that escaped her as Jemma crept a look at her backside. She was always so good at helping to boost Clarice’s ego, even in her worst times. The blonde woman had only been in her life for three years, but it felt like far longer with how comfortable she was with her. “I don’t have any curves, but I will take the compliment about my butt. I’m very flattered.” Releasing a happy sigh, Clari crossed her arms over her thin torso, lifting one skeptical brow over at Jemma. “I definitely get that. But this is my second teenager go-around and so far? Not comparable to Max in the slightest. Two different demons all together.”

 “That’s bull, you do. More than I do anyway, and those legs,” she made an impressed face, shaking her head. “Girl, you’ve got to give yourself more credit. I mean, who’s the married one here?” she asked rhetorically of course. She tilted her head either way in response to what she said about Max. “From what you’ve mentioned, it sounds like Max was a lot more chill in comparison to most other kids anyway,” she stated. “They’re also boys, so, I have zero input on the difficulty of boys versus girls. Juno was her own challenge, that’s for sure.”

“Yes ma’am. I was taken as a prisoner of war for several years, they let me off active duty after that, I did my time at that point.” He smiled wryly as he took another sip of the coffee before coughing a little when he heard who she was. His complexion paled a little as he shook his head. “Yes ma’am of course.” He stood up a little straighter but still shifted his weight. “I promise I’m not trying to cross any lines or boundaries. If I offended her it’s never my intention” He said quickly. 

Jemma simply nodded at what he was saying, too embarrassed by her own actions to comment on his military experience. Secretly, though, she was impressed and sad for him in a way. Then she heard and saw how he reacted by straightening himself up and her eyebrows folded inwards. She shook her head. “You didn’t offend her, that’s for sure,” she mentioned, letting a breath out of her mouth as she tried to relax and tell herself that he didn’t have any bad intentions. “It’s kind of a mess, okay? I’m not her mom, but I’m the only one she has,” she informed him, a cautious look crossing her features. “I wouldn’t trust anyone with her. So don’t take it personally,” she added, second guessing her choice to even come here. She should have just made more coffee at home.

“Yes ma’am. Been out of service for a few years. Honorable discharge” He cleared his throat and nodded a little  “Got into construction when I got here, I like working with my hands..building things” He added. “Keeps me busy” He sipped the sugary coffee again. “I don’t go out often. Just to work, the gym and home mainly. I stop in the shops around town now and again, but for the most part I’m a homebody”

“Better than dishonorable I suppose,” Jemma muttered, probably with more of a sarcastic tone than she intended. She cleared her throat again. I’m sure you like working with your hands, she thought internally, her eyes doing a slight movement upwards. But she took a breath and listened, preparing for what she was about to say. “Okay, look. I know who you are. Juno’s my baby sister, and she told me what happened between you two the other day. I just want you to know that we’re very close, and this isn’t a warning because she’s an adult and could probably kick your ass without blinking, but just treat her with respect, okay?” she wasn’t looking him in the eyes, and she spoke almost too quickly, but there it was.