To Lovingly Hate You

Close To You

Third Person

Adeline stood still and steady, looking out onto the ocean as the waves slowly began to ease up a little, the darkened cloud above threatening to pour... distant rumbles of lightning echoing through the echoing remnants of Adeline's voice. The battle was over... Adeline and Mal had won... but not alone, not alone by any means... Harry playing back up for Adeline made her fight so much better... it was refreshing for Adeline to feel supported in such a way before.

Slowly the crowds emerged from their hiding places, from below the deck, from underneath tables, from behind stairs... those who were thrown off the ship, like the ship's captain himself, were heaved up by the crew. Adeline slowly looked over to Harry... who gave her a knowing look, like he... could see right through her in a way, which she quickly looked away from. She slowly turned back to look at the growing crowd as Mal landed and stumbled into her human form, her Cotillion dress appearing torn and slightly charred while Adeline's was torn and soaked, barely even hanging onto her body. Adeline took a deep breath and turned her hands back at herself and slowly tensed her hands... steam erupting from her body and engulfing her form... to the continued shock of those around.

Soon she emerged... her naturally curly hair puffed up, her scales having sunk back into her skin, her dewy, shimmering skin returning, her eye makeup still stuck however, thanks to an amazing setting spray, but the rest of her didn't appear at all like how she liked to look especially for parties... but for now, the first thing she did when she turned around and returned to her more human looking form when her scales sunk back in, was look for her family, her little sister... who she suddenly shoved and stormed through the crowd to see.

Harry followed her into the crowd that quickly parted ways as Adeline spotted Melody who was shakily crying a little purely from the overwhelm of what had just happened. Adeline immediately got to Melody, dropped to her knees, and pulled Melody into a tight, firm, all-encompassing hug... full of love and care... something that no one really... ever saw.

Even Ariel and Eric looked slightly stunned as Adeline held Melody and gently lulled her little sister, holding the back of her head, squeezing her tight, gently rocking her sobbing sister side to side as she gently whispered,

"Easy... easy Mel... I got you.... you're alright... I'm right here... it's over... it's over..."

She lulled so... sweetly and kindly, it was almost unrecognizable compared to the Adeline everyone on the ship was used to seeing... but Melody... it was as if something clicked. It had felt better during the battle, when Adeline had turned all of her efforts to save Melody the second Melody was caught, and then bonded with her big sister to reveal her mermaid form... it was a lot, but this... this was different.

This was what the Adeline she knew once did, her loving big sister that helped raise her so closely, her big sister that once was her best friend... it was as if, for the moment, she was back. That Adeline was back for the time being, and Melody held on tight... and found comfort in knowing she was still in there at all.

Adeline softly rubbed Melody's back and slowly rocked her back and forth, gently lulling her to a calmer state and getting her to relax and come down from her panic so much, and surprisingly quickly, it just went to show how Adeline's ability to connect was still very much alive. Adeline made sure Melody was breathing a little slower and not crying as hard when she pulled back a little bit and looked at Melody, looking straight into her frightened yet soft eyes with her sincere and gentle ones,

"Hey... easy... easy... you're okay... nothing is gonna happen to you when I'm here Mel, not if I can help it, which I always can"

Adeline softly spoke with an endearing smile, carefully she began fixing Melody's hair for her, making the young girl melt into a relieved smile... not just relieved from the battle being over, more like she was relieved to see her sister again.