#april2021

You had some business outside of the loop and were meant to return this evening. They awaited your return as eagerly as they always did, but there was something more this time. With the increased fear of Hollows and Jake’s recent arrival, there was more danger than normal. She worried that something would go terribly wrong this time.

Once when she looked up from her watch, a new picture flickered to life. Gone was the warm tones of Horace’s mental tailor, instead replaced by the cool tones of Cairnholm. The children could just make out a shoulder, over which the cold waves lapped at Cairnholm’s shore, with a blade glinting in the cold light. The blade was pressed against the throat of the person in frame.

“I don’t want any funny business, do you understand?” A man’s voice echoed through the room, sending a cold chill down Alma’s spine. She knew that voice.

“Do you think I would risk my children’s lives like that?” A woman’s voice, your voice, snapped.

All of the children suddenly sat up straight, eyes hyper focused on the screen, hoping to catch any glimpse of you possible. Alma knew that should stop the image, but she couldn’t move. Her feet felt anchored to the floor as if she’d put on Emma’s lead boots.

“You may attempt to be clever now that they’re directly out of harm’s way. Don’t get any ideas.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Now stop talking about my children and get that blade away from me. You know I won’t run.”

“If you do, your children and your precious Bird will pay the price.” Barron said, pulling the blade away from your neck finally.

There was the briefest moment where Alma and the children could see your face, their hearts pounding. She could see the pain and fear in your eyes, clear as day. Her hand clutched her pocket watch painfully. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore, flipping the lights on.

On a normal evening there would be an uproar following the interruption, but this time everyone sat silently. Their eyes focused on Alma, tears shining in some of them. The only one who looked normal was Jake, who you hadn’t met yet.

“Miss Peregrine, you don’t think… Miss Y/N has to be okay, right?” Olive asked in a near-whisper, though it felt like a bomb in the quiet of the room.

For the first time in a long time, Alma Peregrine truly didn’t know the answer to a question. She had no idea if you were okay or not. Desperately, she hoped you were. If you weren’t, the loss would cripple her, wounding her more than anything before. But her duty was to the safety and happiness of her children.

“Of course she is, it was only a dream,” Alma said in a quick, smooth tone, “Now everyone go prepare for bed, Miss Y/N will return home soon.”

Though she had given a confident answer, the children were still fearful of a different outcome. But their caretaker’s word was law. They all trudged up the stairs to prepare for bed, leaving behind a confused Jake and a barely composed Alma.

Alma’s hands felt numb, the feeling quickly spreading to all parts of her body. The pocket watch felt unbearably heavy as she dropped it into her pocket. It was too difficult to look at it. Every second was one more that you could be ripped away.

“Children, I’m home!”

Your voice in the foyer tore her out of her trance. A thundering stampede of footsteps followed, with loud cheers of ‘Miss Y/N!’ as the children threw themselves at you. Normally, Alma would reprimand them for such behavior, but she couldn’t manage it this time. She wanted to do the same thing.

“Oh hello, my children!” You said, spinning the twins in your arms before noticing Jake standing there, “...and child that isn’t mine.”

The children giggled at the statement, their eyes glancing from Jake to you. Even Alma’s mouth quirked up in a slight smile as she saw Jake blush awkwardly.

“Dear, this is Jake, Abe’s grandson.” Alma said, finally moving to your side.

Her hand came to rest on the small of your back, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek. You raised your eyebrows in surprise. Alma rarely allowed affection beyond holding hands in front of the children, but you did your best just to write it off.

“Pleased to meet you, Jake.” You smiled, holding out a hand to shake. He shook your hand with an awkward smile, “Now, what is the deal? You munchkins should be in bed!”

“We wanted to wait for you, Miss Y/N, especially after-” Claire started, only to be cut off by Emma.

“After you’ve been away for so long. We just missed you a lot, is all.” Emma said, finally getting her own hug in.

“Oh. Well, I’m not complaining. I miss you all terribly when I’m away.”

You placed a kiss to the top of all the children’s heads, save for Enoch. He detested anything beyond a hug, so you gave him just that. It made you happy to be surrounded by all of them. Something was niggling at the back of your mind though, something you just couldn’t figure out.

The children ran upstairs, pulling a confused Jake with them. You watched them go with a sweet smile. Alma’s hand on your back had evolved into an arm around your waist, tightening as soon as the children were out of sight. With a questioning look, you turned until you were facing her, her arms wrapping around you easily.

“What is it, Alma?” You whispered, cupping her face in your hands, “You’re not acting like yourself.”

“I’m acting perfectly like myself, my darling. Perhaps your time away has made you paranoid.” Alma suggested, turning her head to press a kiss to the palm of your hand.

There was a moment when her eyes flickered away from yours and you knew she was lying. It was her tell. Alma resembled her namesake almost completely, with the jerky movements and unblinking gazes. The moment that changed was the moment something was wrong. But there was something in her eyes that caused you to nod, to let it go.

“Perhaps it did,” You agreed, “It’s good that I’m home.”

“Yes it is. Safe and sound.”

“Precisely that, safe and-”

Knock, knock, knock.

Both of your eyes moved to the door you’d just come in through. The porch light allowed the vision of a silhouette through the glass, but that was all. Nothing else could be seen. You felt your heart begin to beat faster than before, as your mind raced through all the people who would call so late. Nobody came to mind.

“Alma?” You whispered.

“Go upstairs, my darling.” Alma ordered. A quick kiss was pressed to your lips, before you were pushed gently towards the stairs.

“Alma-”

“Now.”

Her tone made you jump and you found yourself rushing to obey the command. But when you reached the landing, you realized that you couldn’t go any further. You wouldn’t, couldn’t abandon her when the situation could be potentially dangerous.

She opened the door slowly and you fought the urge to gasp at who stood there. Barron, the man who haunted every peculiar alive, was standing on your porch. He was grinning sickeningly, his sharp teeth making you feel ill.

“Miss Peregrine, delightful to finally meet you.” Barron said with a cheerful tone.

“I wish I could express the same sentiments, but I’m not in the habit of lying.” Alma said in an icy voice.

Barron’s smile faded from his face, leaving a dark expression behind. You suppressed a chill. He stepped into the foyer and Alma made no move to stop him, though you could see she wished to.

“What a shame. And to think I was going to let your children go.” Barron said in a faux-disappointed tone.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You see, Miss Peregrine, my companion will be here soon… and he can’t resist a snack. The children of this house will do just fine for him, but maybe if you’d been a tad nicer I could have led him elsewhere.”

“Nothing is going to harm my children.”

“If you cooperate, that statement will be true. You won’t violate that habit of telling the truth.” Barron said, giving her another sharp smile, “But if you make things difficult...well, you know what will happen. Now be a good little birdy and find your way into this lovely cage.”

If you had any doubts about what Barron’s intentions were before, you had none now. Alma turned and you could see the pain on her face. The barely-there traces of fear felt like a punch in the gut to you. You wouldn’t allow it.

“I’m afraid you’re taking the wrong peculiar, Mr. Barron.” You said from the top of the stairs.

Both sets of eyes turned to you and you summoned all of your confidence to the surface. Alma would be far more likely to stop you if there was any trace of fear, but you couldn’t allow that to happen. If anyone were to stay and protect the children, it would be her.

“And who would you be?” He asked as you descended the stairs.

“Y/N Y/L/N.”

His bright, white eyes widened in recognition. Alma was glaring at you heavily over his shoulder, but you kept your gaze focused away from her. You were one of a few peculiars capable of permanent reality manipulation; anything you touched bent to the will of your mind and would remain so until you changed it back. Entire homes could change at your whim, and remain that way for an eternity. Ymbrynes had to reset their loops, take care of them, but peculiars like you didn’t. You were a miracle peculiar that Barron couldn’t pass up.

“Miss Y/L/N, what an honor.” Barron said, holding out a hand. You grudgingly placed your own into it.

“If you call off your friend and allow my family to remain here, then I’ll go with you willingly. You can do all of the experimentation that you please on my abilities.” You said.

“Darling-” Alma started, but you shook your head. You tried to give her a reassuring smile.

“Do we have a deal, Mr. Barron?” You asked, boring into the man’s eyes intensely.

“Of course.”

He looked stunned. No one had ever come to him willingly before, especially not a peculiar so powerful. All of the experiments and successes he imagined were swirling pleasantly in his mind.

“Allow me a few minutes to say goodbye and then we may leave.” You said, shooing him out onto the porch. With narrowed eyes, he moved there as you motioned.

“You silly woman. What have you done?” Alma asked, coming over to cup your face in her hands. The tears in her eyes created tears in your own.

“It’s my duty to protect you all, remember?” You whispered, “I wrote it in the vows and everything.”

Alma let out a short, teary laugh. You gave her a smile of your own. Knowing that this would hurt her made you feel powerless, but you didn’t have another choice. Either you went or they all died. You couldn’t bear that fate.

“You should have let me go.”

“Never. You’ll be of far more use to the children than I will, you can protect them when I’m… when I’m gone.”

You dropped your eyes from hers, not bearing to see the pain there any longer. Hurting her was the last thing you ever wanted.

Her lips were pressed to yours in a sudden move and you couldn’t help but close your eyes. You couldn’t help but wonder if this would be the last time; the last time kissing her, being held by her. You focused on the kiss completely, not wanting to take a second of it for granted.

A throat clearing obnoxiously broke you apart. Alma leveled a hard glare at Barron, who threw his hands up in surrender. You wouldn’t even look at the man. You were focused completely on your wife, savoring every detail you could of her beautiful face. With slow movements, you pressed a kiss into her palm gently. A little mark was left behind that she couldn’t see, not until later. But you wanted her to remember how you loved her, remember how far you’d go for her.

“Can you call the children down?” You whispered, not sure that your own voice would hold up.

“They’re already here.” She whispered back.

Turning your head, all of the children stood on the steps, watching with silent tears streaming down their faces. Bronwyn was the first to rush at you, plowing into your side like a truck. You let out a wet laugh and wrapped your arms around her. All of the other children followed suit, until you found yourself completely wrapped up in them.

“I’m going to miss you, my darlings.” You said quietly.

“Then don’t go, Miss Y/N.” Claire begged, holding onto your hand for dear life.

“I have to, Claire-bear, I’m sorry.”

“Will you come home, like all of the other times?”

You inhaled sharply, hyper aware of everyone’s gaze on you. Your body shook with the effort of keeping your emotions in check. This was terrifying for you, it wouldn’t be right to make it worse for them.

“I’ll always be home with you, right here,” You said, pointing to Claire’s heart, “Whenever you need me, I’ll be with you.”

“But I don’t want you to be there, I want you to be here!”

There was no way to sweet-talk yourself out of that. You took in a shaking breath, pressing a kiss to the top of Claire’s curls. A tear escaped your eye and shimmered on your cheek.

“Goodbye, my children. I love you all.”

Not able to bear the idea of prolonging anyone’s pain, you turned away and walked towards Barron. He’d been waiting rather impatiently on the front porch while you said your goodbyes. Now he was grinning like he’d won the lottery.

A hand on your arm stopped you just before you crossed the threshold. Turning, you saw that it was Enoch. Before you could furrow your brows, he pressed a kiss to your cheek. You were shocked at his action and couldn’t help the way your face scrunched up painfully. Not trusting your voice, you placed your hand on his cheek and patted lightly. He gave you a nod, showing you that he understood.

Casting one last glance over all of them, you noticed Alma standing in the back. Mascara trails were forming under her eyes as she cried openly, but silently. You wanted to rush to her and kiss every tear away, wiping the black streaks away gently. All you could offer was a mouthed ‘I love you’ which made her clutch her chest. Then with all the strength you had, you turned, walking away as Barron pressed a cold blade to your neck.

You felt drained of all life as you walked, mindful of the sharp object against your jugular. It annoyed you more and more with each step.

“I don’t want any funny business, you understand?” Barron said eventually, making your blood boil.

“Do you think I would risk my children’s lives like that?” You snapped.

“You may attempt to be clever now that they’re directly out of harm’s way. Don’t get any ideas.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Now stop talking about my children and get that blade away from me. You know I won’t run.”

“If you do, your children and your precious Bird will pay the price.” Barron said, pulling the blade away from your neck finally. You resisted the urge to create one of your own and run him through with it. You wouldn’t try anything, not now. It wasn’t the right time.  

----

Alma stared blankly at the door where you had just left. A hollow, empty feeling pressed down on her heart. She knew that she needed to straighten up, but everything hurt so much. She allowed herself one last tear, wiping them away furiously as she turned to the children.

“We can’t stay here. Mr. Barron will have sent his companion despite his deal. Children, go pack your things. Emma and Jake, I need you to keep watch outside. Go, quickly!”

She watched them all scatter in various directions, taking it all in with as much composure as she could muster. Horace’s dream had certainly set her on edge. The worst part of everything was not having you here at her side, offering your help in any way possible. But once her and the children had safely left the house, they wouldn’t stop until they got you back.

Realizing that she’d been standing and watching the children for a few minutes now, she jumped into the chaos, helping them pack as quickly as they could. She could worry later, but for now she had to act.

----

The further you walked with Barron, the more you thought of how to get away. You had no doubts that Alma and the children would get away in time. You did have doubts, however, about managing to find them after. The world was a large place and any Ymbryne that could move was moving. Any certainty of finding a loop you had before would be gone now; when they learned that Alma Peregrine had been discovered, the rest would double down in any way possible.

Of course you would find them eventually. Being a peculiar of any sort made you privy to the whispers of loops, but they were often false trails. Fake coordinates leading you to an empty plot of land. It would take years to find a reliable source of information and even longer to prove that Barron and his group hadn’t compromised your psyche. You would find them, but it would take a long time. And it was getting even longer the further you got from the house.

With your abilities, even the smallest blade of grass could earn your escape. The issue was separating yourself from Barron enough to create what you needed... without him running you through with a blade. The path before you was clear, but dark. That was all you needed.

Closing your eyes, you manipulated a small obstacle into your path. The feeling flowed through you like a chill. You kept your eyes closed after you’d finished its creation. If you were going to stumble or fall, it needed to be real. It needed to be convincing.

“How much longer until we don’t have-” You started, only to cut yourself off as you stumbled over a rock and landed ungracefully. There was an audible snap! and a burst of pain erupted through your arm, “Shit.”

“You’re not the most graceful creature, are you?” Barron laughed.

His voice reminded you of your intentions. Pushing aside the throbbing pain in one of your arms, you picked an errant dandelion stem from the grass. Within moments it was a long, sharp blade. You pushed yourself off of the ground and turned, wasting no time in attacking Barron with it.

The shout he released let you know that you’d hit the mark, but you hadn’t done all of the damage you’d been hoping to. He was, unfortunately, still standing.

“You are going to regret that.” Barron growled out.

“I can guarantee that I won’t.” You snapped, managing another blow before he was prepared.

In the distance, you could see the lights of your house. The home you had lived in for countless years, teaching your children and keeping them safe, making countless memories. It was where you’d been married, surrounded by the blooming flowers as Alma became your wife. It was where you chased the twins through the garden, where you played hide and seek with Bronwyn and Fiona. You remembered converting the attic for Enoch to store his items and refinishing the greenhouse so the children could take lessons there.

Barron’s eyes glowing in front of you fueled a deep anger in your gut. Every moment of your life--any moment that mattered, in your opinion--was in that beautiful house. And because of Barron and his insufferable agenda, you’d be forced to leave it all behind.

Without thinking, you swung your blade, making almost perfect contact in every way. You were running on autopilot. Your energy was waning as he began to block your blows and you knew it was time to end it. With a focused amount of ability, a patch of twigs behind Barron was transformed into a long, sharp tool. And using a few expertly placed blows, you knocked him back until he unknowingly impaled himself on the object.

He let out a wheeze and dropped the weapon from his hand, struggling against the tool. His struggle only caused it to slip further through him. After a long moment, he finally stopped breathing. You kicked his leg for good measure, just to make sure, before taking off at a run back towards your house.

You despised running, but you hated the idea of losing your family more. So the burning in your lungs and the fatigue in your legs was worth it to you. When you reached the house, parts of it were destroyed, and crashing was coming from inside. You caught sight of Alma in the window and your heart dropped. The low rumble of the bombers was growing closer and she was still inside.

“Miss Y/N!” Emma’s voice came from your right, making you turn quickly. She stood there with everyone, with the exception of Jake and Alma.

“Emma, my darling girl.” You gasped, pulling the girl into your arms, “I need you to take the children as far from here as you can. Wait for us at the docks. If we’re not there by sunrise, board the boat and go to Miss Finches loop, it’s the closest.”

“We won’t leave you. We can’t.” She protested, but you shook your head, pressing the necessary money into her palm.

“You all come first. Now go and don’t you dare turn around.”

Your voice was stern, a tone you rarely had use for, but you placed a kiss to her forehead despite it. Emma’s eyes were glassy as she nodded, before turning and ushering the children away. That was your cue to run inside the house.

At the bottom of the stairs you could hear the crashes echo, but you had no idea where they were coming from. The low rumble of the planes was almost above the house.

“Alma!” You screamed up the stairs, “You need to get out of the house!”

If it had been a normal day, Alma would have scolded you heavily for yelling up the stairs. She detested raised voices. But it wasn’t a normal day in the slightest.

You could hear raised voices, muffled by the walls between you. Then Alma and Jake’s faces rounded the corner and rushed down the stairs. Pushing Jake in front of you, you grabbed Alma’s hand with your good one and ran. Just as the whistle of the dropping bomb punctured the night sky, the Hollow broke through the roof. It was perfect timing as the house exploded with the Hollow as part of it.

Some wood splintered in your direction and you threw yourself to the ground, pulling Alma with you. You shielded her body with yours, hissing at the excruciating pain in your arm. Tears welled in your eyes as you laid in the grass, illuminated by the aftermath of the bomb.

“Darling?” Alma’s voice sounded far away, her hands on your face like a phantom touch, “Darling, can you hear me?”

You nodded blankly, squeezing your eyes shut as you attempted to move. A sob left your mouth unwarranted as your muscles rebelled.

“You’re injured, sit still.” She instructed, her voice no longer far away as your ears readjusted.

“No, we have to go.” You croaked out.

“My darling, we have time to patch you up-”

“No, Alma. Emma has instructions to leave at sunrise and we don’t have much time.”

Alma reeled back, her sharp eyes full of anxiousness. She dearly wanted to tend to your wounds, but she couldn’t allow her children to leave the island without her protection. It didn’t align with her duty. With a low growl, she helped you stand, the three of you making your way towards the docks.

You arrived just as the sun was just beginning to cross the horizon. The children were waiting quietly, only speaking every now and again in hushed tones. Until someone noticed the three of you. After that, they erupted into noise, throwing their arms around you all in joy.

As you slid into your seat on the ferry with Alma at your side, you wrapped her hand in yours. You ignored the odd looks from anyone else on the vessel as you leaned close to her.

“I never told you to get yourself injured.” Alma said under her breath.

“It wasn’t part of the plan, but I don’t mind it so much.”

“How can you say that?” She hissed.

“Because without it, I wouldn’t have gotten back to you.” You said, giving her a pointed look. She snapped her mouth shut.