Reunion - A Titanic AU Fic (Part 2/2)
Part 1
If had taken a while for Davey to convince Sarah that his letter wasnât a hoax or a joke. Heâd had to constantly repeat the fact that he didnât want money or to claim part of an inheritance, he just wanted to say hi. He could tell she still didnât believe it was really him, but eventually, by divulging some details of their childhood that no one else would know, sheâd agreed to come and see him. One month later Sarah and Les were supposedly on a train, on their way to Santa Fe where Davey and Jack planned to meet them at the nearest train station. When it came to organisation it couldnât have been easier for Davey, but his heart was still threatening to burst out of his chest. He hadnât seen either of his siblings in a decade, and theyâd assumed him dead for all of that time. It would be completely understandable for them to hate him.
âShe didnât believe it was me,â he mumbled, mostly to himself. Sarah might not even be coming.
âCan you blame her? She thought you were dead,â Jack pointed out tentatively.
They were sat on a bench outside the station so they could keep Katie away from the potential roar of trains. She was currently asleep in Daveyâs arms and it was really best she stay that way.
âWhat if she still doesnât believe me?â he panicked.
âAfter seeing your face? Thatâs pretty unlikely,â Jack laughed softly, taking a quick look around before pressing a kiss to Daveyâs cheek.
âWhat if she hates me?â Daveyâs spiral of terror was slowly building up, imagining the worst possible scenarios. What if Sarah never turned up, or she reported him and Jack for their relationship and Katie got taken away, or she had turned into a carbon copy of their mother.
âDavey, calm down. Sheâs going to be thrilled,â Jack promised, trying to be reassuring.
Just as he finished getting the words out, Davey heard the sound of a train approaching the station behind them. Without a hand free to check his watch, he turned to Jack and, when he got a nod in confirmation that this was the train they were waiting on, fear bloomed in his eyes. Heâd been waiting on this a while and now the moment was here. He really wished it wasnât.
âWant me to take her?â Jack offered, gesturing to Katie.
Davey gave him a suspicious look. It wasnât often Jack could hold anything particularly heavy, with his wrists painful more days than not.
âThey feel fine, I promise,â Jack said merrily, flexing his wrists.
They didnât. They were having one of those hurt-so-bad-they-may-as-well-be-on-fire days, but Jack wanted to make this meeting as easy on Davey as possible and it was going to go more smoothly if he wasnât holding a baby. Besides, he loved their daughter and it killed him that he couldnât hold her as often as he wanted. Just this once he was going to endure the pain, despite how bad Davey told him it was to do that.
Still distrustful but aware Jack could make his own decisions, Davey carefully handed over their sleeping child. Just as he was tucking her blanket back around her so she was comfortable in Jackâs arms, a someone spoke behind him.
âDavid?â
It was Sarahâs voice, still unmistakable to him even after ten years without hearing it. Climbing shakily to his feet, Davey was faced with both of his siblings as they clutched travel bags and stared at the ghost before them.
There were a million things Davey wanted to say, but he couldnât find the perfect way to word any of them.
âHi,â he managed, his throat dry.
âI thought youâŚâ Sarah trailed off, still not able to actually vocalise the words. She was still stunned in disbelief. The letters had seemed convincing enough, but it was too dangerous to hope so sheâd maintained it would be a friend of Daveyâs or at least someone with answers she never thought sheâd get, but not her brother himself, waiting for them.
âI know. Iâm sorry, Sarah, but⌠We couldnât risk Mama saying something,â Davey sighed, finding his voice just a little. The pain Jack had had to endure on the ship because of their relationship was nothing Davey could bear to let him experience again.
âWe?â Sarah asked.
Jack stood up and nodded at Sarah, prevented from the awkward wave Davey knew he would have done instead had he not been holding a baby who was slowly waking up from her nap. From the way Sarahâs eyes went wide, she recognised him.
âHey,â he said, offering half a smile. âOne arrest was enough.â
Her eyes flickering between her brother and his lover, Sarah struggled to understand how two people she thought were at the bottom of the ocean were safe on land and seemingly living a happily ever after.
âBut I saw the survivor lists, I scoured them,â she narrowed her eyes. Sheâd read those lists hundreds of times, just in case she was missing one name amid the hundreds.
âDavid Kelly. Thatâs who Iâm down as,â he explained, shuffling his feet with a tinge of embarrassment. Heâd been quick to give up his family name, and he hadnât made any attempt to reclaim it since. It was a life heâd rejected.
âSo, youâre-?â Sarah began, turning to Jack.
âJack Kelly, yeah.â
âAnd this isâŚ?â
She reached out a hand to the yawning baby, Katie immediately latching on to her finger with a tiny hand.
âKatie. Our daughter,â Davey grinned, loving that things seemed to be going so smoothly.
He turned from his sister to his brother.
Les hadnât said much of anything. He had been too busy staring at the brother who had practically returned from the grave, and in all honestly it was a stare Davey couldnât help but return. The little brother heâd left behind when heâd set sail on the âship of dreamsâ was gone and there was a young man in his place. By Daveyâs best estimates, Les was 19 now and he found himself hating everything heâd missed. Still, at least he was still alive to catch up on it all now.
Leaving Sarah to coo over the baby in Jackâs arms, Davey took a few steps towards Les. Before he could get a word out, Les was speaking first.
âWe all thought you were dead.â
His voice was cold and the lack of familiarity in it sent a chill down Daveyâs spine. The interaction caught Jackâs attention and he was suddenly back at Daveyâs side, with Katie still in his arms.
âYeah, Iâm sorry about that,â Davey sighed, sadly. He had nothing to offer but the truth. âWe didnât really have a choice.â
It was impossible to explain the threats and the hatred that Esther had directed at him onboard the Titanic without demonizing their mother, and he wasnât sure Les was ready to hear that so soon after her death.
Les nodded slowly, trying to make sense of everything that was happening. He hadnât really been expecting it to be the real Davey waiting for them off the train.
âSo you do like men?â he asked, needing a direct answer. Sarah had never given him a direct answer, always saying that it was Daveyâs business, if she was even willing to talk about him at all. Mainly she refused and, knowing the tears that collected at the corners of her eyes at the mention of Daveyâs name, he didnât ask much.
Davey swallowed back nerves, not used to being directly asked. Usually people just got the message and tolerated it but didnât talk about it.
âYes. I do. I hope that isnât a problem?â he said, trying to look more confident than he felt.
âIs this Jack?â Les asked, turning to the man hovering nervously next to Davey with a baby.
It didnât escape Daveyâs notice that he was avoiding his question. There was a pang of pain in his chest at the idea of his little brother not being able to make his peace with having a queer sibling, but there was still a little bit of hope. Maybe if he just met Jack heâd be okay.
Jack himself had decided it was best to stay quiet. He knew this was difficult for Davey and didnât want to make it worse.
âYes. I love him very much. Iâm not asking you to understand that, or to even agree with it. Just respect it,â Davey said, staying as strong as possible. He very much wanted to take Jackâs hand for support, but Katie was somewhat of an obstacle.
Les was looking at Jack with equal measures of curiosity and confusion, like he couldnât comprehend how Davey had chosen this person as the one to spend his life with.
âHeâs the reason youâre alive?â he asked, a little wary.
âProbably on more levels than just the one,â Davey admitted.
Heâd never have survived the Titanic without his husband, but Jack was also instrumental to his mental health when it came to living as openly as he safely could as a man who loved another man. He wasnât sure heâd feel so happy being himself without Jack at his side.
After a moment of deliberation that was too long for Daveyâs sanity to remain entirely intact, Les turned to Jack and gave him a respectful nod.
âIâm Les,â he introduced himself so formally Sarah was hiding was a smile. Jack grinned back.
âHiya Les, Iâve heard a lot about you. Iâm Jack. Iâd shake your hand, but,â he gestured down to the child in his arms, âIâm a little tied down.â He shared a smile with Davey, both of them intensely relieved.
âWhose baby is it?â Les asked.
âWell, ours. Your brother and I,â Jack explained, but he could tell that wasnât going to be a suitable clarification. âShe was left on our doorstep, so weâre looking after her.â
âPermanently?â
âHopefully, yes,â Jack admitted, holding Katie just a little bit tighter. The idea of someone taking her away physically hurt.
âSo sheâs my niece?â Les suggested tentatively.
âYeah. She is,â Davey nodded, withholding the intense amount of glee he felt that Les was acknowledging familial ties.
Les took a tiny step closer to the baby, waiting for Jackâs permission before reaching out to gently bop her on the nose and make her smile. Sensing that all the tension had dissipated, Sarah stepped up behind Davey and wrapped him up into a tight hug. The day she had both her brothers alive in one place was one she never thought sheâd see again.
âIâm glad youâre alive,â she smiled. âBoth of you.â Because anyone who mattered to Davey, mattered to her.
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