Queen's Princess

PART IV: Chapter 24

Feeling the hot sun on my skin, I opened my eyes to find Odessa was sleeping beside me. Her eyes were closed and she looked to be at peace. I smiled, finally getting to see her. Closing my eyes, wanting to drift off to sleep, but my eyes shot open, finally processing what was going on.

"DEZ!" I yelled, causing her to jump up.

"W-What? Is something wrong?"

Tears filled my eyes as I threw my arms around her neck, hugging her, "Odessa! You're back."

She let out a sigh of relief, wrapping her arms around me, "I take it ya missed me."

"It was so much more than that," I cried in her shoulder. "I felt so lonely without ya. My days didn't feel right with ya gone. Everything felt so odd."

She nuzzled her cheek against my head, "Sorry to keep ya waiting, Y/N."

I pulled away and looked at her, a sad look appeared in her eyes as she reached up and place her hands on my cheeks, wiping away my tears with her thumbs.

"Don't cry, Y/N. I know I hurt ya by leaving and not telling ya where I was going to be, but I'm here now," she said and rested her forehead against mine.

"I-I know you are," I kept on crying. 

She pulled me into her lap and fully wrapped her arms around me. I buried my face back in her shoulder as I kept on crying until the tears finally stopped. I pulled away and looked at her. Not much has changed since she left. I reached up and put my hand on her cheek, caressing underneath the studs that were below her left eye. She leaned into my touch. It seemed she missed it as much as I missed hers.

"Come here," she reached up, placing her hands on my cheeks, pulling me towards her.

I placed my lips against hers, feeling the warmth coming from them. They were soft, reminding me of the time where we shared our first kiss here. After we parted, all my anger and frustration came back at once. Gritting my teeth together, I smacked her across the face. She rubbed her cheek and looked shocked at me.

"Y/N?"

"What the fuck, Odessa?!" I yelled. "Ya just up and leave for a year without telling me or your mother where you're going? We were so worried about ya," tears started to stream down my face once more. "I was so worried about you. I was worried ya died out there and we had no way of knowing! Not to mention ya left after we had that argument. So how do ya think I felt thinking that ya left because of the argument we had. I thought ya left because of me and what I said to ya. And all I could to was blame myself and tell myself I was at fault for ya leaving. I had no reassurance of my thoughts were true or not. I am relieved you're safe and alive, but ya have some explaining ya need to do!"

She let out a sigh, nodding her head, "All of ya need an explanation. And I deserved that smack. I deserve every beating ya have for leaving ya in the dark for so long. I am at your mercy, Y/N."

"Why would I hit ya again?" I asked, kissing the redness on her cheek.

"Because I deserve it."

"Ya deserved the first slap, but nothing after it. I was just so overwhelmed with relief that you're back safe and sound, but my mind remembered how upset I am with ya. So you're not at my mercy."

She nodded her head, pulling me back into a hug, "I'm really sorry for not telling ya. But I needed to clear my head and then I ran into some things. Somethings I needed to fight off and such."

"Then let's head back to your mum and tell us both there."

She nodded and stood up. She set me down on the ground and we walked over to the motorcycles. We got onto the ones we drove and headed back. I parked my father's motorcycle and stuck the keys in my bag. I slid down the sand dune and joined Odessa inside her house. Her mother had a similar reaction, but it was mostly relief and joy that she was back safe and sound.

"I deserve an explanation to both of ya," she looked at me and then her mother.

"Come sit, Y/N," her mother said.

Odessa and I sat down on the couch beside one another. She took in a deep breath before letting it out.

"Where to begin. After Y/N and I had a bit of an argument, I left to go clear my head. But I stumbled my way into the Burning Lands. I had heard stories of them from the people 'ere and how there was a curse placed on it from the Five Metal Demons. There were people there as well who were tryin' to break the curse and they were from here. I attempted it, but I was almost killed in the process, so I left and recovered. While I was recovering, I dealt with other things out there such as mutants, raiders, and more omnics. The people who were living on the outskirts of the Burning Lands gave me hospitality as they were finally able to live in peace. When I was fully recovered, it was time to fight the Five Metal Demons once more. They told me that it was a death sentence to try and fight them, but after I defeated them and showed them, they came back here to recount the events and tell the curse was lifted from the Burning Lands. From what they relayed back to me, the people in the Wastelands rejoiced and word went all over the Wastelands, far past where I have gone."

"Do you think word made it to Junkertown?" I asked.

"Maybe," she said.

While she was telling the events of what happened, I finally noticed that there were scars running up and down her arms. I guess they were from the many battles she partook while she was out in the Burning Lands. She finished up and turned to me.

"I should have told ya before I left," she said.

"It doesn't matter now," I said and hugged her. "You're here with us now."

"Yeah," she wrapped her arms around. "Yeah I am."

A/N: I know Odessa fights the Five Metal Demons when she is the Queen of Junkertown, but shhh. *hides away in the shadows and whispers as I back away* don't come after me for not getting some lore right.