Red Queen One-Shots

The Grave

A/N: This was a request. Sorry for the following emotional manipulation.

Farley POV

Flying makes Clara sick, and after she vomited, she crawled into my arms and has stayed here for an hour by now.

She's flown before when she was a few months old, and it wasn't better; she cried the whole flight. Her dislike hasn't improved and I remember how I'd grinned at Shade getting sick on the Blackrun years ago. Strange to see she has inherited that from him. "Dove's" become an unfitting nickname.

"We're almost there," I say, noticing the island in the distance as I look from the window. Finally, the clouds are gone and the morning sun's light is reflected by the water. I rub Clara's back and she stirs. After a few seconds, she pulls away from my chest and risks a glance, to my relief. I need to get her belted in her own seat for the landing. I lift her from my lap and suddenly, excitement overcomes her. She sits up in her seat to face the window with both hands pressed to the wall. "Mama, what is it?"

I bend towards her. "It's the sea, Clara. And over there is Tuck, the island we're flying to."

She swallows. Damn, the view from up here must be making her nauseous again. I caress her arm to soothe her, talk to distract her. "You've been here before, you know? When you were still in my belly." Like when Daddy was still with us, I almost say, as if I won't have to face the memories soon enough. "You've been to a lot of places, actually," I add instead.

That doesn't make me feel better but at least Clara seems to be okay. It's a nice thing to tell her about the adventures in the early weeks of my pregnancy with her, but only in the censored version. If I think about that time by myself, I consider how lucky I've been that I haven't lost her during one of our dangerous and reckless actions. I don't want to imagine my life without her.

I carry Clara out of the plane and once ground is under her feet, she wants to walk by herself. She's still wobbly and clings to my leg. Yet her relief is obvious. She takes a few deep breaths of the cold and salty air, then fumbles with her ears.

"I know, Clara," I reassure her. "It's annoying but the swoosh takes a while to go away."

It takes the usual amount of time to transport our little baggage and to settle in the dwell provided for us. It's hardly ever more than comfortable but still better than most rooms. Command privileges. I reap them for Clara and let myself enjoy them, too.

I tend to her as long as necessary. She isn't that small anymore but the flight drags on her. I enjoy that as well, to bring her to bed and chat with her as she becomes more talkative.

"I'm happy you brought me along," Clara says and I pat her cheek.

"That's nice," I reply smiling but with a lump in my throat. I brought her along for a reason, not just to avoid the separation. Although I have to know by now she doesn't like to see me gone for weeks and more either.

"Are you a little better?" I ask and she nods. "You should rest after the awful flight, though," I add. She nods again but holds on to my hand until she falls asleep.

I extricate myself carefully, open and close the door quietly. I lean against it. I can't get the purpose of this journey out of my head, and that I still have to tell her about it. She can't remember how it was last year, nor could we come here with the civil wars on another surge. Some kind of peace has arrived by now, and the Barrows were the ones to ask for this, most of all Daniel –

"Ma'am?"

I startle. "Oh, excuse me," the boy in the corridor says and steps back. Great, now I've scared him with my authority.