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EVERLY
"Oh, god," the agonising pain leaves me in a rush when Garrot straightens up with a baby in his arms.
My baby.
"Congratulations, it's a girl." He beams at me, tears pouring down his face. Victor cries silently behind me. If it wasn't for his shaking, I wouldn't know. Garrot peels off his black t-shirt and cleans her up a little then turns it inside out to wrap her in. Victor takes the collar of my tunic and rips it open. Exposing the top half of my breasts.
"My beautiful daughter," I coo as Garrot places her on my chest. I guide my nipple to her mouth. She latches on easily.
"She's beautiful, Everly." Victor finally speaks, his voice sounding rough with emotion.
"She looks like her mummy," Garrot comments as he takes a small blade from his pocket and ties off the umbilical cord with strips of his jeans. He holds the knife out to me. "Want to cut the cord?"
"Leyland should," I all but sob. The phone lies on the grass next to us. The screen black.
"I am here." His voice makes me squeeze my eyes closed. I dare not open them.
"Le?" Garrot gets to his feet and stands in front of us, as Victor moves to stand too. Partially shifted, he stands by Garrot's side with tentacles sprouting from his sides.
"What happened?" Victor asks and I try to crane my neck to look around them but they're too big.
"Your mother, Asia, she gave me back my soul. No," his voice turns suddenly cold which sends shivers up my spine. "Please, I just," he pauses, when he continues his voice is just above a whisper. "I want to see my daughter, please, Everly?"
"Vic, help me up." I ask and tug on a tentacle. He turns and helps me stand, the baby still suckling, I walk around Garrot to stand in front of Leyland.
"It's not safe, Everly, he's fallen," Garrot begins but I cut him off.
"It's safe." I say softly while looking into Leyland's storm grey eyes.
"Look at his wings, Gar." Victor points out behind me. Cradling the baby in both arms I take a step towards Leyland, my heart pounding in my chest.
Leyland's face lights up when he reaches out and gently runs the back of his fingers across her bright red hair.
"She's perfect," he doesn't blink as he looks down at her, awe in his eyes. "What's her name?" He asks, finally looking into my eyes. His are so haunted that tears pour down my face.
"I don't know." I answer honestly. Up until now I haven't even thought about names.
"Lorelei," he mumbles, looking down at her again.
"Lorelei," I test the name on my tongue, "Lorelei Eros." I say with a smile.
"It suits her," Victor agrees.
"It's beautiful," Garrot snakes an arm around my waist and Victor twists a strand of hair around his finger. The breeze picks up and I gulp in lungs full of salty air. The moment feels almost perfect. Except...
"Karl!" Garrot shouts, disturbing Lorelei. She lets go of my nipple and lets out a small cry. I match it when Karl appears behind Leyland.
Karl
Walking across the field to the cliff’s edge isn't easy. But nothing would stop me from joining my family in this moment. When I reach them, I can't help but tear up. I'm torn between taking Everly into my arms and never letting go, holding the tiny bundle in her arms and never letting go, hugging Leyland, whose wings are now white, but the tips are blackened or begging on my knees for Everly's forgiveness.
"Karl," my name on her lips is my undoing. Being really careful not to hurt the baby, I throw my arms around Everly. I couldn't stop my tears even if I wanted to.
After all this time. After all we've been through. She's finally here. Safe. Whole. With a newborn in her arms.
"I'm so sorry," I begin, my whole body shakes with exhaustion. Everly must feel it because when she pulls away, her brows are pinched together.
"Are you ok?"
Everly just gave birth and she is asking me if I'm ok?
"Let's get everyone home," Garrot suggests. "We’re all in need of some rest."
I couldn't agree more.
"Are you coming, lady?" Victor asks Darcy as we pull ourselves together.
"That's no lady, that's my mother." I growl, making everyone look at me. "I'll explain later."
We walk back to the car in silence. Each of us has a hand on Everly. Except Leyland who walks a couple of paces behind us. After a couple of minutes, Victor picks Everly up. She snuggles into his arms and closes her eyes. The baby is safe and sound close to her.
***
"HEY GUYS!" MICKEY GREETS us at the house, his eyes brim with tears as he notices the baby in Everly's arms. Everly napped a little in the car but she still looks tired. "Come in, I spelled the house, it's safe."
When we enter the living room, Everly gingerly sits on the sofa and we all stand in front of her. None of us know what to say.
"What's wrong?" Everly asks, shyly.
We all begin at the same time. Making her rub her temple.
"We failed you." I summarize for us all.
"What?" She asks angrily.
"You were down there all that time and we couldn't reach you," Garrot tries but Everly lifts a hand, silencing us all.
"Don't, just don't. You guys are not to blame. I jumped off that cliff. I did this to us, me. I'm sorry." She looks around her suddenly, “Where is Alan? Did someone phone him?” A choked sound escapes Garrot and he covers his mouth with his fist.
“Alan,” I begin but tear up, Victor finishes for me.
“I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, Everly, but Alan died when beasts were sent to take Garrot. They lured Garrot to his Dad's house and during the scuffle he got killed.” He bends to one knee in front of a shocked Everly and places his hands on hers, “He died a warrior. Saving his son.”
Her head spins to Garrot who looks down at the floor, unshed tears in his eyes.
“Take the baby,” Ever instructs Victor on a whisper. The look on his face would have been comical had the moment not been so sad. When Vic sits next to her, she passes the sleeping baby to him and stands up. She closes the distance between her and Garrot in one stride and throws her arms around him. I place my hand on his shoulder as she whispers how sorry she is and that she is sorry she missed the funeral.
“He is in the morgue still, I didn`t,” he pauses, his voice cracking with emotions. “We haven't had time yet,” he explains.
We didn't bury Alan yet because we were hyper focused on all the wrong things. For the longest time, they stand holding each other. Grieving the loss of a good man. I sit next to Vic and gently stroke my finger over the baby's cheeks. They`re round like a hamsters. Almost as if she is storing food in them. I find myself enraptured with her. So much like her mother, she is the vision of beauty. So innocent. So peaceful. I know the peace will not last long if we do not kill Poseidon, and soon. He will come for Everly, of that I have no doubt. He’s sadistic enough to use the baby against us all. I will do anything to keep Lorelei safe.
Exhaustion rolls over me, so much so, I can barely keep my eyes open.
“How are you, Karl?” Victor asks.
“I`m pretty sure I died today.”
Everly
“I don't have the words, Garrot.” I whisper in his ear as he holds me so tight I can hardly breathe.
“Just being here with you is helping, god,” he holds me even tighter, “I've missed you so much.” I can feel just how much against my still swollen stomach. Between my legs hurts but I still feel a jolt of lust at the feel of his body against mine.
“I missed you all too, so much.” I tell him. From the corner of my eye I see Darcy walk back into the room, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. “Are you ok?” Her head spins and she smiles at me. It's Darcy still.
“Yes, a little shocked but I’m well.” She says softly.
I can't imagine how scary all this must be. Actually, I can. When I first arrived in Atlantis, I felt much the same as she does now. Only, she is free, and I was not.
“Would you like a drink, something to eat, Darcy?” Karl asks just as Lorelei wakes up. She cries and poor Victor`s expression makes me giggle.
“Yes, please, both, if it is not too much trouble.” Darcy fumbles around for the words as Karl guides her from the room.
“Pass her here, Vic, she's hungry.” I grab a towel from the radiator and lay it on the couch then sit next to him and push my torn tunic to the side.
“Shopping is in order I do believe.” Garrot sits on the floor between my legs, looking up at me. I'm surprised he looks at my face and not between my legs or at my bare breast. Lorelei latches on and I sit back, relaxing while I can.
“Yeah, after we come up with a plan for Poseidon, though. It won't take him long to come after us. We need somewhere safe for her,” I worry out loud. Karl comes back in the room, a smile on his face. Leyland stands at the back of the room. Looking so uncomfortable I almost wince when I look at him. “Le?” I ask him with my eyes to come sit with us as Karl sits on my free side. He hasn't even looked at Lorelei, let alone held her. He looks at my chin, refusing to meet my eyes.
“I need some air.” He grunts and storms out of the room. I look at Karl, then Victor and finally down at Garrot. My family is incomplete. I don't like it. I just got home from being held prisoner, I gave birth on a cliff and found out my almost father in law is dead. I want to get up and go after him. To tell him that no matter what happened while I was away has no bearing on the now. All I want is to spend these precious moments with those I love.
Leyland
“What happened, Leyland? How did you get your soul back?” Karl asks as he chases me out of the house. Fuck. I need some time alone. No. I don't want to be alone. I want to be with Everly and my daughter. But I don't deserve to be with them.
“Not now, Karl,” I growl over my shoulder as I head for one of the cars.
“Bullshit, your daughter is moments old, you should be in there, bonding with her, welcoming Everly back, not doing this angst ridden dick.” Karl grabs my arm and spins me to face him. Anger bubbles up inside of me. I swing out my fist, missing his face by inches.
“The fuck?” he barks and punches me right in the nose. It's unexpected and I go down like a tonne of bricks. The ground is cold, hard and unwelcoming. Just like my heart was just hours ago.
“Want to know what they did to me, Karl?” I yell at him as I swipe blood from my nose. “They forced my fucking soul back into my body, literally dragged it back from hell and rammed it inside.” My voice cracks and I hate myself for it. I have no right to feel upset. I did horrible things, I don't deserve the look of sympathy on Karl`s face. I jump to my feet and manage to clip his chin with the toe of my boot. He goes down and I climb on top of him, ploughing my fist into his face over and over. “I feel everything, all the guilt.” Smack, “The pain.” Punch. “All those lives I took! I hate myself, Karl, I hate what I did, what I turned into.” Slap. “The things I said about Everly, I remember it all, Karl,” tears stream down my face. He doesn't even try to stop me or fight back. His actions break me.
I throw myself off him and lay on my back on the gravel and cry. I cry for Everly. For Lorelei. For the people I killed and got killed. For my brothers. For myself. For my wings.
“They took my wings as penance. It's not enough. They should have killed me.”
***
GARROT
“Karl,” I whisper around the door of our bedroom. The light is off and soft snores can be heard but I don't know who they belong to. Everly fell asleep around an hour ago. Lorelei gurgles in my arms, happily sucking on the bottle Karl and Le brought back from the shop earlier. I could tell when they got back they had both been crying. Neither of them wanted to talk about it and went to bed not long after. I am on night duties with the baby, which is way more fun than I thought it would be.
“Looks like Daddy Karl is asleep, muffin, why don't we watch a movie instead?” she doesn't open her eyes or stop drinking but I don`t mind. Just holding her soothes my soul in ways I never knew possible. It helps because I know Everly is safely tucked in between Karl and Victor. Leyland went for a walk not long after everyone fell asleep.
Walking around the house I check the doors once more. Not that they would stop a Selkie or any of the creatures at Poseidon`s disposal, but it makes me feel better anyway. I know Mickey said there was a spell around the house, but I don`t trust magic too well. I pass Mickey in the dining room. He made a bed of sheets and pillows rather than take one of the spare rooms. By the time we get back into the front room, Lorelei is fast asleep. Not long after the movie starts, I fall asleep.