𝐒𝐊𝐘𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋, ᵏᵃʸᶜᵉ ᵈᵘᵗᵗᵒⁿ

ii. reunions

(Set in season one episode one)

"HOW long have you been travelling for exactly?" Ryan asked his hundredth question as Mavis sat on the ground next to him, his hat on her head, bucket hat forgotten as she plays in the dirt.

"Three days" Elaine answered as she twisted a strand of grass.

It was silent for a moment before he began to speak again, getting abruptly cut off by the sound of a car, which soon came to a stop by them.

A man with a dark beard stuck his head out the window, briefly assessing the pair of unknown females before nodding his head for her to get in.

"That's Rip, he's a man of few words but he's really just a big softie." Ryan said, lifting Mavis to pass to her mother before taking his hat back, to which the two year old sent a grumpy look to him.

"Alright. Thank you for staying with me, hopefully i'll see you again later?" She half questioned, waiting for him to sit in the saddle of his horse.

"Yeah probably, tell Colby i said he's a damn liar" Ryan said shortly, giving a nod before letting his horse trot off in the direction the two went previously.

Elaine rounded the car, reaching the passenger door and sitting when Rip tapped his fingers on the steering wheel almost impatiently.

"Do you need anything from your car before we turn around?" Rip asked, giving a short glance to her as she buckled herself up, keeping Mavis on her lap under the seatbelt.

"Uh- no I should be fine thanks" She replied, keeping her eyes out the window as she watches the tree fly past.

—

It was twenty minutes later when they slowly pulled up at a large house, several pens and buildings surrounding it.

Mavis, who had been trying to reach over to the man beside her turned her attention to the front when the vehicle stopped moving, all habitants of the car getting out to stand on the grass.

"Colby should be just down there, you see that big area? just wonder down there and someone will lead you right to him" Rip said, his hands on his hips as he watches the young woman do as he says.

If he was being honest he had no idea what business this lady had with Colby, but Rip could make out from the almost frightened look in her eye that it had to be important. Therefore when he got a call about an unknown woman needing to be dropped at the main house he didn't question it.

It seemed as though everyone there was already expecting her, for as soon as she was a meter from the fence post separating the horses and their riders from her, a skinny man instantly ran over, pointing in the direction of a barn.

Upon closer inspection she could see a figure at a tap right outside of said barn, she gave the skinny man a nod of thanks before treading over to her brother.

"If i'd have known you were livin' with a bunch'a hot men I would'a come sooner" She spoke out loud, watching as Colby paused in his footsteps.

It was silent for a second, the only sound to be heard was the bucket he was filling up beginning to overflow, drips rapidly falling to the ground.

The turn he made was dramatically slow, a frown on his face as he scanned over the woman infront of him.

He didn't recognise the woman his sister had become, the haunted look in her eye aswell as the unnatural look of her bones poking against her skin was a stark difference to the last time he'd seen her.

"El?" Colby asked, shaking his head slightly as he rapidly blinked his eyes, as though they were betraying him.

"Ryan said you're a damn liar, I don't know what he meant by— Oomph" Elaine was cut off by Colby ramming into her, arms wrapping around her small frame to cradle her in his arms.

Mavis who was slightly disoriented by the sudden embrace tried pushing Colby's hands away, a scrunched up look adorning the child's face as she grounds out the words of. "Get off!"

At the sound of the child speaking Colby lifts his head, looking between Mavis and Elaine in glee, this having been the first actual time they've met, save for one facetime call on her first birthday.

"Can I?" At his question she immediately nodded, letting him take the child from her arms and helping him adjust her so she didn't feel uncomfortable.

"Mavis look it's uncle Colby" Elaine said when Mavis didn't dare look the person holding her in the eyes, her small hands instantly reaching out to grab ahold of her mother.

At the familiar word she whips her head around to face the man who looked so much like her mother, eyes wide with curiosity as her hands take place on the scruff of facial hair.