The Twilight Children//The School for Good and Evil

51 ~ Stay Safe

. : Laura of Neverland : .

Sophie was gone. 

Laura rested her hand on the back of her father's chair. His cane rested across his lap, and her mother sat on the other side. In front of them was the table in Guenivere and Lancelot's kitchen, and across it sprawled a map of the Endless Woods. Merlin had magically magnified the map so they were looking at the Blue Forest beyond the school. 

Around the rest of the table were the fairytale heroes and the council members, all looking expectantly at Merlin as he spoke.

"We must move quickly. Now that Sophie has returned to the School Master, we only have a few days remaining before the world collapses."

Laura dug her fingers into the plush fabric of the chair, keeping her magic beneath her skin. It was thrumming, energized from the practice she had had earlier with Ophelia. They had to win this, or else there would be no more world to return to.

"Let's depart tonight," Merlin spoke. "I trust all of you are ready. Laura, have you alerted the Neverland forces of what's coming?"

Laura straightened slightly as the room turned to look at her. "I have, I sent the information earlier. They will meet us there."

Merlin began to speak again, brushing over basic plans and locations. They weren't sure what the School Master was after, but from what Sophie had spilled, they knew where he was headed.

Laura scanned the room. Her eyes landed on Sebastian, who was shuffling slightly, but stood closer to his father than she had seen before. He was antsy, his hands twitching at his sides. Laura caught his eye and raised an eyebrow. 

He shook his head almost imperceptibly, his blue eyes blinking slowly. 

Laura narrowed her eyes. 

He shook his head again.

Laura frowned but turned her gaze back to the rest of the room. She glanced down at her parents, only to be slightly surprised to find her mother looking at her with a soft smile. 

Laura gave her an awkward smile back as Merlin clapped his hands. "Get your things, we are going to leave now."

The room rose, and Laura waited for her father to stand. "I'll take you back to the castle," She said.

Her father chuckled. "No, I'm coming with you."

Laura's eyes widened. She could feel the rough woven fabric on her skin. "Absolutely not. Villeneuve needs you."

"Villeneuve needs you too," He grabbed her shoulder with his free hand. "I can still hold a sword, and I will not let the world be taken. I'm coming with you. Your mother will stay behind to run the kingdom."

Laura clenched her hands into fists. He shouldn't be coming with her. It was dangerous. She looked up at her father, their eyes meeting. There was a hard-set determination in his dark eyes. Laura couldn't win this one. 

She would just have to do everything she could to keep him safe.

~~~

Laura stepped out the door, dressed in loose fighting leathers. Her father had given her a small rose pin to put over her heart, a sign of where she was from and who she was fighting for. Her small knives were strapped to her thighs, her pixie dust wrapped around her neck-- the vial half empty, and her magic crackling along her skin.

Nobody else was prepared yet, so she settled herself on the small bench on the wooden porch, watching the sun melt into the horizon. It was nothing more than a small ember of its previous existence.

The door opened again and Laura glanced over as Sebastian stepped out, dressed in the same armour she wore. His sword was loose in his palm, and his red hair was on fire in the evening sun.

"Can I sit?"

Laura nodded, shuffling down to make room for him. He sat.

They were silent for a moment, something in the air between them that Laura couldn't place. 

Sebastian exhaled and she glanced at him. He was sitting with his hands between his thighs, playing with his fingers. A little crab pin-- the symbol of Havfrue-- was in his palms.

"My dad knows."

Laura's eyebrows jumped. "You told him?"

Sebastian shrugged. "More like I almost froze him, but yeah. He knows now. I don't know if he's told my mom or not, but he knows."

"And?" Laura asked.

Sebastian finally looked at her. "I don't think he's entirely comfortable with it, but he told me that it's okay and I'm still his child."

Laura smiled and nudged him with her shoulder. "Guess it turned out okay in the end."

Sebastian nodded, and she watched as he looked down at the golden crab pin again, before huffing and attempting to pin it to his chest.

Laura watched his long fingers move deftly around the pin, trying to pin it onto his arm, only to fail twice. He stabbed his thumb and Laura snorted.

"Here," She took the pin from his hands. With three quick movements, she secured it to his chest, brushing her fingers once over the pin, before glancing up at him.

To her surprise, his face was flushed pink, his eyes wide. She ducked her gaze and slid back, creating an acceptable amount of distance between them.

"Thanks," Sebastian swallowed and ran a hand through his hair. "Do you have pixie dust left?"

Laura nodded, holding up the vial from where it sat around her neck. The colourful powder glimmered in the light. "I should. I don't plan on flying much, but it should be enough in case of any emergencies."

Sebastian nodded once, and she watched him refocus his gaze on the sun. He was handsome, she realized with a flush. He had grown into his once gangly limbs and had filled them out over the past three years. His shoulders were broad, and his arms muscular. There was a confident air around him as well, that certainly hadn't been there when she had burned his hands.

Her eyes darted down to his hands, where the skin over his knuckles was scarred and faint purple. She frowned, a stream of guilt flooding her mind. 

Sebastian's eyes followed her gaze to his hands, and he gave her a soft smile. Laura's eyebrows shot up in surprise and her face warmed as he took her hand, cupping it with his own.

She blinked slowly at him, keeping her breathing steady. She ran a thumb over his knuckles, pausing at the burn scars. Laura hadn't wanted to hurt anyone again after leaving her parents, and instead, in the wake of the war on Neverland, she had hurt someone she hadn't known she cared about.

"I'm sorry," She breathed, letting her magic flood over his hands in the form of warmth, instead of burning flames.

Sebastian squeezed her fingers. "You don't have to apologize. It was war."

"Yes I do," She sighed. "I messed up. I hurt the people close to me and I care about. I owe you an apology, and I'm sorry. You have my word that I will not harm you again."

Laura watched Sebastian's face take on a pink tinge. "You don't have to apologize, but instead, promise me one thing?"

Laura nodded once but shifted her hand so it was out of his view.

"Promise me you'll make it out alive, and that we can start over."

Laura exhaled slowly, and pressed her palm under her thighs, crossing her fingers.

"I promise."

~~~

Hello lovelies,

Sorry for the later update today, it's been a busy day for me!

As always, enjoy and let me know if you have any questions.

Until next time

~ Indigo