#there's something about the Ruin Eclipse design that just sets off my anxiety I have no idea why

[anangelcalledinquisitor]

Can I just say thank you to everyone who has been good about tagging their Help Wanted 2 spoilers? I'm not being as diligent with it as I was for Security Breach in general, but it is one that I want to try to experience as much as I can when I can actually play it (word is there will be a Non-VR version soon-ish? And since I can't play VR for medical reasons, I have to wait).

(and to all of you who don't tag your Ruin spoilers, seriously, why you gotta be like that?)

[jadekitty777]

On Your Six, Chapter 5

Day 5: Mission Go- Cooking for @taiqrowweek

Wait what do you mean I switched the prompt days around? Dunno what you’re talking about ;)

(Don’t worry it’ll make more sense in the long run)

Rating: T for this chapter, M for overall

Words: 2.5k

Summary: Qrow was what most of society would call a small-town criminal. But to those oppressed, he hoped only to be a healer. In an effort to make a change in the world, he moves from kingdom to kingdom, searching for branded omegas in need. His goal? To turn the derogatory words the reformatories forced them to bear on their skin into works of art.

Then one day, his past catches up to him in the form of Taiyang, his former best friend, with a brand of his own stained onto his skin and a plea for help in his eyes. Qrow has no choice but to answer, even if it means he’d have to face his mistakes once and for all.

[An ABO-style universe in a modern-day style Remnant. No Grimm, because people are the real monsters in this one]

Ao3 Link: On Your Sleeve

~

Tai had started feeding him.

At first, it had begun with little things, shortly following that fateful day he gave him the picture. Prepackaged snacks or fresh fruits or vegetables as a healthy addition to the cheap, instant lunch meals he could easily afford. Then it quickly dissolved into tubberware covered leftovers of various pastas or stews, things that kept well and were well adept at making in large servings.

By late May, with the advent of Qrow’s twenty-sixth birthday, Tai arrived at his place loaded with grocery bags, a proper skillet and a determined purpose to make his favorite dish of chicken curry. It was, hands down, one of the best meals he’d had in years.

Yet, even after the occasion passed, the trend continued until it seemed Sunday became the day his stomach most looked forward too. Normally, Qrow would put up a fight about being doted after – Tai wouldn’t be the first omega to develop the habit. The most prominent of whom had been Maria, whose sessions had to be shorter than most both due to her age and the difficulty working with thinner, more wrinkled skin.

But she had also been a grandmother. A feisty one, who smacked him on the head a lot with her cane, but was also kind and worried and constantly remarking on his too-thin frame until he just gave up and let her do whatever she wanted.

But with Tai, he couldn’t even manage to feign annoyance. In part because Tai’s cooking was damn good and he’d be a fool not to gobble it up at every opportunity. But also, because it gave an excuse for their sessions to run long.

He didn’t even think it was a one-sided endeavor. Beyond the innate omega instinct to care for and Tai’s naturally generous personality, there was a loneliness in those blue eyes that told the truth behind all the fumbled attempts to waste time or make breaks run longer. By July, Tai wasn’t leaving his place until at least ten at night.

Neither of them complained about the arrangement.

Then August rolled around, and Qrow had an absolutely foolish idea.

The first Sunday of the month was on the 5th and it passed with little incident or notice. They were back at the first of the designs, arguably the most complex with the amount of color layers needed, so their dinner was nothing fancy. Just simple sandwiches and side salads, so most of their time could be spent under the needle instead.

He’d banked on that happening so that what would happen next wouldn’t have a chance of paling in comparison.

You busy tonight? He messaged early Wednesday.

Tai responded a few hours later, probably when his first break popped up. No. Why?

Come over after work. I have something to give you. He replied after he’d finished with his client for the day, sometime early afternoon.

The final response was cheeky and towards the end of the school day. You’re about as subtle as a brick.

Almost at 6 P.M. on the dot, there was a knock on his door.

“Coming!” Qrow called, dancing between the kitchen and the table to make sure everything was perfectly in place. He gave it all a satisfactory nod, then hurried over, sliding the door open only enough so he could wedge between it and the threshold, blocking Tai’s view.

The omega looked different, fresh out of work. His blond hair had been lightly gelled, just enough to give it a bit of bounce. The casual wear he was normally in was swapped out for a more professional look; pants and a collared shirt ironed of any wrinkles and shoes shined enough they gleamed.

So of course his eyes fell onto the one thing that completely ruined the look with a teasing snort. “Nice tie, Tai.”

“You like it?” He grinned, pulling at the absolutely hideous yellow abomination that was covered in yapping cartoon corgis. “The kids love ‘em. They call me the Funny Tie Guy.”

Oh Gods. “Bet you get a kick out of it every time.”

“I literally can knot get enough of it.” Tai had the nerve to wink as he said it too.

Qrow groaned. “You are so lucky it’s your day. Speaking of-” He swung the door open, revealing the room with a flourish.

Admittedly, it wasn’t much. Still, it was satisfying to see the way Tai’s face lit up with joy as he spotted the modest little table set for two, dinner already set in their bowls and the most expensive white wine he could reasonably afford already poured. The omega looked from it to him, grin growing, “You did all this?”

“Yeaaah.” Qrow flushed, trying to hide his anxiety. He’d never been great with giving gifts. “Happy birthday ya big lug.”

Tai laughed, throwing an arm over his shoulders and pulling him into a hug. “Thank you. This is just what I wanted.”

He could have stayed there forever – but he didn’t work himself to death to let dinner go cold. He pat his back, mindful of the healing wounds, and said, “Let’s eat.”

Qrow’s relationship with cooking was disjointed and the spread seemed to reflect that. The fried rice was perfect; it was one of the first things his mother taught him how to make on the stove. The garlic broccoli, more of a staple in the Xiao Long family, had a bit of crunch where some of the pieces hadn’t fully cooked through because he hadn’t had Tai beside him to remind him to stir. Just like the many other easy things he helped him learn how to make when he found out he and Raven had been living off nothing but white rice and peanut butter sandwiches for months.

The moo shu pork was the trickiest and most complicated dish by far and nothing he’d ever even attempted before. His amateur hand left it looking a bit of a mess as they poured it onto the tortillas. Unpretty as it was in presentation and lacking a few of the pricier ingredients like oyster sauce and sesame oil, the marinade had the pork still bursting with flavor.  

The wine was there to act as a garnish to make the food seem better than it was. Which was probably why Qrow kept pouring it until he and Tai had split two and a half glasses between each other. Either that, or because Tai was adorably chatty when he was tipsy.

“So, there we are, watching about thirty of these Fayblades spinning around, knocking into each other and some of the cheaper ones are falling apart. Everything is going too fast for any of us to do the math problems on them. And Missy and I just look at each other like we both just realized what a horrible mistake we made. It was only the first week back and I was pretty sure we were about to lose an eye or something.” As he told the story, Tai animatedly gestured around with his glass, liquid sloshing almost past the rim. “We get the kids to back up until they all stop. Then Missy starts gathering a few up, saying how this time we would try less so we can actually keep count – when Velvet speaks up from the back and says ‘Blue wins 124 to 90’.”

Qrow polished off his own glass, setting it on the table. “That’s the quiet one with the rabbit in her bag, right?”

“Mmhmm. She kind of tries to hide when everyone starts looking at her, so I don’t say anything right then. Just take it as fact and move on. But when recess comes around, I pull her aside and ask her how she knew the answer. And she tells me, completely serious mind you, that she’s a camera. So it was easy to do all the math when she basically had the pictures saved in her head. And I’m like, holy shit!” He taps his temple for emphasis. “She has a photographic memory.”

“Ain’t that just a myth?” He asked, starting to gather the empty dishes.

Tai waved him off. “Pfft. Qrow, you gotta stop thinking like the world’s just a big science textbook. It’s more like a-a fairytale! Where magic can happen at any moment.”

“Tai, you’re drunk.”

“I am not!” This time, when he gestured, some of the wine hit the table. He blinked down at it. “Ah, shit!”

He laughed. “Man, you still can’t hold your liquor.”

“You dishonor me.” The omega accused, pointing to his right hand as if it were an exhibit. “I’m holding it just fine.”

That only made him laugh harder, until he had to wipe tears from the corners of his eyes.

~

Somehow, they found themselves laying side by side on the bed, shoulders pressed together. Tai’s scroll was balanced between the head of the bed and the wall, the display playing the finale of their favorite show growing up, Silver Eyes.  It was the height of the final battle. Rosette was locked in battle with Bastinda while the rest of her friends lay, unconscious or ensnared in traps, around them.

“Do you not yet see how pointless this all is? How my power eclipses you all?” Bastinda snarled as she swung her wand down. “You’re all just insignificant riffraff!”

Rosette seemed to find some strength, blocking the attack with her broadsword. “You’re wrong! No one is insignificant! Even the smallest of us has something good to contribute.”

“Foolish child!” A powerful gravity spell threw Rosette to the ground, knocking her sword out of her hand.

“Gods,” Qrow griped. “This is cheesier than I remember.”

Tai shushed him. “Hush, the best part’s coming up!”

He rolled his eyes, but his traitorous mouth smiled all the same. Alright, so maybe this part was pretty hype. Watching it play out again on the screen, he felt ten again, practically glued to screen as his excitement built.

A large shadow stretched across the valley, delaying the witch from striking the final blow as she turned to the source. Up on the hill, sun behind him, was Zwei. Rosette’s little corgi that had been with her from the start of the show. He came racing down the hill, stubby little legs barely able to pick up speed.

Bastinda sneered, pointed her wand at the dog. “Pathetic.”

“Zwei, no!!” Rosette cried, tears filling her eyes just as the blast fired.

It seemed like the end for the lovable pup as smoke filled the air.

And then, with a blast of light, something came flying out of the dust and landing before the witch. The world rumbled under powerful paws as the giant white wolf stood before her, letting out a powerful growl that brought her to her knees.

“I don’t believe it!” Blanca cried from her mirror prison. “Zwei’s a Guardian!”

The rest of the finale played out just as he remembered, Zwei turning the tide of the fight and giving Rosette a chance to free her friends, all of them coming together for one final attack that rid the world of the cruel witch once and for all. After that, the wolf turned back into the lovable and more marketable corgi pup, and everyone headed home to enjoy true peace for the first time in a millennium.

Tai sat up as the credits began to roll, stretching his arms above his head. “I still think it holds up pretty well.”

“Sure, if you ignore the fact they completely sidelined Silver Eyes. It’s only the title of the show.” He snarked.

“Come on now. It’s not about the power ups. It’s about the journey and the-”

“Friends they made alone the way.” He mimed gagging. It was only the motto shoved down his throat at the end of almost every episode.

Tai merely laughed at his antics, picking up his scroll and slipping off the bed. “It’s late. I better head home.”

Maybe it was the vestiges of the alcohol or maybe it was the other’s scent, sweeter and more inviting than usual, that loosened his tongue enough to offer, “You could crash here, if you want.”

“In your bed? We hardly fit.”

Acquiescently, he rolled onto his side, practically shoving himself against the wall as he pat the wide, empty space. “It’ll be fine. And your drunk.”

“Hardly. And I’ll have to get up early to get back home and get ready.”

“It’s fine.” The noise left him involuntarily. It wasn’t a growl, really; it was barely more than a rumble. Regardless, the regret hit him instantly as he bit down on his tongue and turned his face up apologetically.

The omega just arched a brow, entirely unaffected and unimpressed by his pitiful display. Then he chuckled, any meteor-sized tension there could have been burning up long before impact could be made. “Gods, you’re such a punk, you know that?”

“I…uh…”

“Alright, you win.” Tai set the alarm on his scroll with his right hand, while he crossed the room and got the lights with his left. He used the glow coming off of the device to find his way back, dropping it onto the nightstand. In the bits of moonlight coming from the window, Tai became an erotic beauty as he undid his tie and buttons, shrugging out of his shirt. His belt hit the ground next – though mercifully he kept his pants on.

Qrow watched him, utterly transfixed, as he lowed himself to the bed, mattress dipping anew with the readded weight as the omega stretched out onto his stomach. Beyond all comprehension, he had to fight every muscle in his body from reaching for him. The need to bring him close and curl around him was overwhelming. So, he shoved his hands underneath the crook of his neck and locked his elbows.

Why had he thought this was a good idea again?

Tai heaved out a long sigh, mumbling, “Goodnight Qrow.”

He swallowed, voice barely above a whisper as he responded, “G’night.”

Without a clock in the room, there was no telling how long he lay there, coiled up tight like a spring waiting for the pressure to come loose, listening to the sounds of Tai’s breathing slowly evening out. It wasn’t until Qrow was absolutely certain the other wouldn’t wake that he risked it.

Though it felt a bit reprehensible, it was with that same uncontrolled desire in which he found himself scooting his upper half forward, inch by agonizing inch, until the bridge of his nose was pressed up against the curve of Tai’s shoulder.

His eyes slipped shut, breathing in deeply. The omega’s scent swirled around him, sunflowers and soil and bright summer days; a smell that was unmistakably, irrevocably Tai.

Here. With him.

Slowly, the rigidity to his muscles relaxed and he finally drifted off, the scent embracing him as securely as its owner could.

[angeleyesgilly]

↬ Promise Part 1.

●Setting: White Mercy General Hospital, 2010.

●❝I'll hold your body in my hands be as gentle as I can.❞

●Trigger Warnings: Mentions of child abuse.

Gill, when are we going to see the baby?” It was easily seen that Katie was excited. She had been like it all night, constantly asking when they’d get to see the baby. Not that Gillian blamed her, she was excited too.

“Soon Katie,” Gill promised, a warm smile resting on her lips as she brushed her hand down over the small child’s sleek brown locks. Lydia and Rosa had left a few hours ago, they’d wanted to go home and sleep. She didn’t entirely blame them. She was tired too. But Kate was so excited, and she’d be lying if she wasn’t excited to see the new baby.

Yet there was fear too. She’d seen what her step-mother had done to the others. She had seen the bruises that were explained away by clumsy natures. And she’d tried to report it, to get anyone to listen to her about what her step-mother was doing. But her cries had fallen on deaf ears. The only thing she wanted, more than anything was the child to be safe.

As Katie rested her head on her shoulder, Gillian wrapped an arm around her. She was surprised that the young girl had managed to stay awake so long. It was in the early AM and while some nights on the weekends for particularly special occasions, she’d agree to stay up a bit of extra time with Katie, this was late for the both of them. For the last hours she’d been watching Katie yawn, stretch and try to find distractions in little things.

The hospital waiting room was not a place designed to sooth the nerves of an eager child that was for sure. Gently she let her hand rub in small meaningless circles on Kate’s shoulder, hoping maybe she would be able to get her to sleep somehow. Even an hour or two was better than nothing. Her father had already said they didn’t have to go to school tomorrow, but ruining Katie’s sleep schedule entirely didn’t seem like a good idea to her.

“Do you think it’ll be a boy or a girl?” Katie asked, her voice a little muffled against Gillian’s shirt. She could hear the tired strain in her voice, that far off sound to it that said she was simply asking questions to try and stay awake.Gillian had thought about it. Pondered whether she would have a brother or sister. But it hadn’t been the most important thing. The most important thing was trying to make them safe, to make all of them safe, even Lydia and Rosa. 

“I can’t say for sure,” Gillian said thoughtfully. “But, I think what really matters is that when they’re born, that they’re really happy, and know just how much they’re loved.”

“I’ll show it how much I love it!” Katie said, finding a brief, half-winded moment of energy that quickly burned off.

“I know you will. I think you’re going to be a great big sister,” she spoke warmly, genuinely. It was true, of the three girls she’d grown to know, Katie was one of the most compassionate. Difficult at times, with a wit of someone beyond her age, yes. But she was kind, and Gillian had every assurance that the little baby would be loved greatly.

“You will too,” Katie perked in, tilting her head up to look up at Gillian. A smile rested on her lips as she glanced down at the child. There was often a division made between her and her step-mothers children. While the division was created by her step-mother and elder step-sisters, it didn’t feel like there was much of one between her and Kate. Kate was her sister, bound in a way far more important that blood.

“Well don’t you know?” Gillian said playfully, her voice light. “I already am a big sister,” she finished off, brushing back the stray strand of baby hair that was always falling into Kate’s face. The words got her a big smile. She loved to see her sister smile like that, see the joy on her face. She liked to see the joy on the face of anyone really. But for her sister, a young girl who’d seen so much, who was constantly knocked down in ways no child should have experienced, it was different. It was different because it meant someone Gilly cared about could find happiness in even a dark situation. Feeling the arms of Katie wrap around her, squeezing her lower rib cage.

“I love you Gill,” she murmured.

“I love you too Katie,” Gillian replied gently. Soon Katie settled once more, and Gillian made of job of doing small actions to try and encourage her to go to sleep. She was between lightly rubbing her hand over her back, twisting the strands of her hair in a gentle manner or humming to a quiet tune – nothing in particular, just different songs she’d heard on the radio that day. – Soon enough, she heard the even intake and outtake of shallow breathing, laced with the light whistling noise Katie always made when she slept.

She didn’t move from her spot on the plastic hospital chair next to Katie’s, she didn’t want to disturb the child from her rest. After the long night of endless waiting, she knew she definitely needed it. Instead of moving she tried to relax back in her chair, mostly watching the clock on the wall. It wasn’t entirely quiet in the room, there was a few other scattered people there. Three or four. They too were waiting.

Watching the clock, she was acutely aware of how much time was passing, going by with the ticking of the hands. It was boring, there was no arguing that. But she did her best not to let her thoughts wander too far. She feared where they would go if given the opportunity. The fears and the worries that something bad might happen to the child that was about to come into the world were all too eager to pounce upon her more excited thoughts.

One hour passed.

Another one.

Three.

Three and a half.

Seven minutes.

Eight minutes.

Staring off at the clock, almost hypnotized by the moving of the hands, she didn’t hear it at first when her name was called. “Gilly?” She heard it, her father’s voice. Immediately, her gaze moved from the clock to the source of the voice. Sure enough, there stood her father. He looked tired, but more than anything he looked ecstatic. There was a joy in his eyes she hadn’t seen for a long time.

“Is the baby here?” She tried to keep her voice down somewhat, Katie had turned and bent into what looked like a rather unnatural position, finding refuge for her head on the arm rest. She slept soundly, despite the awkward way her body was bent. Gillian had covered her up somewhere between hour two and three, fearing that she might get cold and wake up. There was still that glimmer of excitement though in her voice, the dawn of the smallest hope that perhaps the new life would change things. But behind that the twisted monster of anxiety told her that it might not make things better.

Her father gave a rather quick nod of his head, confirming Gillian’s words. “She’s so beautiful,” he seemed like he might cry almost. A girl. A sister. Capsizing the anxiety and eclipsing it just for a moment, the spoken words that came out gave her joy. Joy because her father seemed so happy in the moment, and joy that a new life had come to earth. Her sister.

“What’s her name?” Gillian inquired, her bell like accented voice coming out with a curiosity. “When can we see her?” As excited as she was, she didn’t want to push too much, especially not where her step-mother was concerned. She might have been eager to see the child, but she didn’t want to risk stepping over a line, especially one that might make her step-mother angry and lead to her taking it out on one of the older girls, or worse yet the baby.

“Right now,” her father responded easily. “If you want that is.”Gillian glanced back at the sleeping girl next to her on the seat, unsure about her course of action. Whether she was to wake her, or somehow try to carry her without stirring her. Surely she’d get some form of witty remark if she ended up messing that up somehow. “What about Katie?” She asked.

“She’s fine here, we’re just down the hall,” he told her, nodding briefly, but affectionately towards the child. Gillian glanced back at the girl once more. She wasn’t entirely sure about leaving her here. But she’d always felt that way. When they would go to the stores together, she felt uncomfortable leaving her in the isle alone. Perhaps it was just the protective instincts. “She’ll be alright, she needs her rest anyway.”

Gillian nodded and walked towards the small reception desk. It was much smaller than the main one, and she got the feeling that the woman behind it didn’t enjoy her job so much. “Do you mind taking her down to the room when she wakes up, please?” Gillian asked politely, offering a warm compassionate smile. She didn’t need to give the room number, the amount of people there was small enough that it wasn’t necessary.

“Of course,” the tired looking woman responded with a nod.

“Thank you so much,” Gillian said, the smile staying in place. She tried not to rush towards her father, she didn’t want the woman to think that she was quick to get away. It wasn’t easy to control herself though. She was undeniably eager to get to see the child. The new baby. Her sister. For a while there, she had been worried that she would never get to see her. Sure, her step-mother had never found out that the report had come from Gillian – or she’d never said it at least – but she always worried that somehow she knew, and she’d ban Gill from the life of the child.

Gillian’s father led her through the archway and down the hallway. They followed the dotted blue line. There were about three different patterns aligned on either side of the floor. Green dots, straight green stripe, and the same with the blue, along with a red line. She tried to remember what each led to in a way to keep her from practically skipping about in joy, but in the moment she called on it. Glancing over at her father, her chocolate brown eyes took in the fact he looked almost tense.

“Don’t worry,” she said comfortingly, patting his arm gently. “Everything will be okay,” she assured him. She wasn’t sure what he was nervous about, if it was the fact of raising another child at his age, or if it was about her step-mother, but she didn’t want to see him tense and upset.

“Thank you angel,” he called her that a lot. She remembered that her mother had called her that too. They always said she was an angel since she had seemed to come from heaven itself. His hand gently came to rest over hers, patting it gently.

“Any time dad,” she told him, smiling softly. Finally, their short journey down the hallway came to the end. They slowed and eventually stopped outside a door. It was opened a crack, but the only thing that could really be seen through that crack was the pale peach material of the privacy curtain. Pushing the door open, her father held it for her and then followed her in shortly after. Gillian grew more nervous the closer they got to her step-mother. She waited for her father’s cue, watching as he peeked around the curtain briefly before pulling it back. The sound of the chain holding it to the draw system rang out, rattling for a moment until the curtains topped.

Gillian was tense with anticipating. She moved purely by her father’s cues, stepping through the fissure he’d created in the curtains. A breath of relief left her when she saw her step-mother was sleeping soundly. She tried not to make it too audible. Her father might not have affectionately loved the woman, but he seemed to care for her. And she didn’t want to ruin his good move.

“Come here angel, meet your sister,” the suggestion was gentle, no doubt the result of him having noticed the way she only moved when asked.Her steps were vigilant, as if she stepped too hard on the floor it might collapse from under her feet. She remained alert as she nervously approached. There were several thoughts running through her head. Wondering if she would be a good big sister to the small child, wondering if she could protect the baby and keep her safe, worry that somehow she wouldn’t be allowed to be a big part in her life, hope that this new life might bring a new radiance and joy to their family. She was definitely emotional.

Finally, she stood by the crib and let her brown eye’s look up from the basic blue flats she wore to the small child. Eyes widening in awe, she watched the tiny child. The baby was swaddled in a blanket. She was definitely small. Gillian was certain she hadn’t seen something so tiny before. And her father was right, the baby was definitely beautiful. Small tufts of pale blonde hair decorated the crown of the baby’s head. The color was like sunlight, shining under the fluorescents of the hospital room. Unlike what she’d heard, the newborn had a rather even complexion that leaned towards the pinker side, the sign of true newness. The soft, content face of the sleeping child added to it all. She truly was gorgeous. Much like a little angel. Immediately, Gillian was possessed by the urge to protect this small life at all costs, driven by the familial love she already felt for the infant.

“Can I - ?” She trailed off a little, hoping desperately that she would be able to hold the child. Her father gave her a nod. And despite how badly she wanted to hold the baby, she feared that she somehow might break her. She was so small, so fragile. Luckily her father helped with that. With skilled actions, he scooped the child up. For a second she was almost unsure as to if she should hold the baby. Surely if she couldn’t pick her up holding her might not be the best. But as her father held out the child, she shifted her arms into something of a cradled position that she had once used with the dolls she had played with as a girl.

Still in shock and awe, she blinked a couple of times as the small body of the child was placed in her arms. It took her a moment to fully registered, but slowly, gently, she rocked the baby, gaining some confidence that she wouldn’t somehow mess up. “Wow,” she whispered lowly. “She’s so -,” she cut herself off for a moment. “You’re so perfect,” she spoke directly towards the sleeping infant.

Carefully, she walked back and forth the length of the room, attention almost completely on the small infant as she rocked and held her gently. The child didn’t seem to mind at all. She didn’t stir, simply breathed in and out. She was certain that she would never let anyone hurt this child. Much like the protective instinct she held for Katie, it was the same for this baby. “I know you probably won’t understand,” she whispered gently as she made it to the other end of the room. “But I’m your big sister,” she continued on. “The world is very confusing, and sometimes it can be sad, or cruel. But if you have strength, and courage, and continue to be kind, you can find power in it,” she whispered gently, knowing the child could not hear her voice in her sleeping state, nor would she understand if she did.

“What’s her name?” She’d asked earlier, but she’d quickly forgotten of that when the promise of seeing the child came up.

“Lola.” He told her. His gaze hadn’t left her and the child.

“Well, Lola,” she said, speaking directly to the child again. “I’m going to keep you safe, whatever it takes, and I will love you until the end of forever,” her voice dropped to a whisper once more. “I promise.”