Starving isn't so bad anymore (Don't Starve Together Fanfiction)

Chapter 22: Grieving

"Have you seen Maxwell?" Winona asked as she walked over to me.

"No, why do you ask?" I said as I finished patting down the loose dirt below me. 

"..."

"What?"

"Did you bury him alive?" she asked slowly.

"... No?"

A loud muffled scream came from below to dirt as it shook.

"..."

"..."

"Now to be fair, he wanted to know how long he could hold his breath."

"Just dig him up!"

After a minute or two I managed to uncover to screaming Maxwell.

"Is he alright?" Winona asked as Maxwell was gasping loudly for air.

"What was my time?" Maxwell said between breaths.

"Nine minutes and forty-three seconds."

"Damn! Put me back in!" he yelled as he flopped back into the hole.

"Not yet, I still need to talk to him." Winona in interrupted.

"Why?" Maxwell asked, still lying down in the hole.

"We need your help to find at least one of the portal pieces before too long."

Maxwell gave out a sigh and climbed out of the hole. "Sorry Wilson, I have this to deal with."

"Fine, but next time I'm throwing a snake in the hole with you." I said as I leaned on the shovel.

"As expected." Maxwell retorted as he was pulled away by Winona.

"You know, I understand that everyone has different ways of grieving. I have my tomfoolery with Maxwell, Wendy has her knife-throwing, and Woody as his excessive wood eating. But this just seems a bit too far." I said as I looked over Willows construction.

"This is how I grieve." Willow responded as she stood next to a burning section of forest.

"The trees will be pissed."

"I'll set them on fire."

"Willow no."

"Willow yes."

"We need to find a better way for you to grieve..." I said as I wrapped my arm around her.

"I like this way." she said with wide eyes and a smile as she looked into the fire.

"Okay, you're coming with me." I said as I lifted her bridal style.

"Flaaaaaaammmesss." she drawled as we got farther away from the fire.

"Yes, dear, flames."

"This is an odd replacement." Wendy said as Willow stared at the bonfire like it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. She was so close to it I was worried she might catch her hair on fire.

"Do you have a better idea?" I asked as I had to pull Willow back so she didn't lean into the fire. "I'm actually asking, this is very concerning."

"Maybe we could have her play with Whitney, that usually makes the both of them happy."

"That's a pretty good idea. Go get your sister, I'll make sure Willow doesn't burn herself more than usual."

Wendy nodded and walked off. 

I sat down next to Willow and leaned my head down on her shoulder, a pretty low lean since I'm about a foot taller than her, to not only keep her sitting up but to also get comfy.

"You know you can talk to me about if if you want."

Willow kept staring at the fire.

"I get that he was the first person you met on this island, but that also means his death was a pretty big impact. I can speak from experience when I say bottling up your emotions doesn't end well. And I love you so I want you to talk something like this out with me."

Willows gaze went from bewildered to sad as she looked down.

"Please, just talk to me."

She looked me in the eyes, tears threatening to flow from her own. "I... I never expected anyone here to die... I mean I know Wickerbottom is tauntingly close but otherwise... I just don't know what to think, you know? It's not like when WX-78 was destroyed before you showed up, he's a robot who can be fixed. Wolfgang was just a human... A human who was my right hand since the beginning... A human who won't come back..." she finished as she pushed herself into my hug. Tears were actually streaming down her face now.

"I know, and we'll all miss him. It will take a very long time to come to terms with his passing but... Wolfgang wouldn't want us to stop functioning altogether. If he could see us now, what do you think he'd say?"

She sniffed and said "Probably something like 'The mighty do not cry, the mighty keep fighting until they win' or 'Stop with your crying, there work to be done'." she finished with a small sad smile.

"Then he'd try to show off my lifted a giant tree." I added.

"Heh... You know, he was never trying to impress people with that. He just did it to get a laugh, to lighten the mood..."

"Well he always succeeded then. Maybe I should try that, seeing how strong I am!" I said with a joking flex of one arm, the other arm wrapped around her.

She let out a small laugh before saying "No, with you it'd actually be impressive with your small frame."

"Not as small as you." I said as I nuzzled my face against hers.

"Can still kick your ass!" she said jokingly as she pushed my face away from her, a smile shining on her face.

"I'd like to see you try." I said before going dead-weight.

"Ugh! No fair, you're bigger than me!" she said as she struggled to keep me from crushing her.

She let out another laugh before a frown crept back onto her face. "It will take long time to not feel a little guilty, though."

"It will, but you're not alone." 

"Mama!" exclaimed Whitney as she came running towards us, Wendy walking behind her.

"Well if it isn't mommy's little firecracker!" Willow said as she hugged the little girl tightly.

"Wendy said you wanted to play." 

"I'd love that." Willow said as she stood up with Whitney in her outstretched arms.

I just smiled as the two began to run around and play, meanwhile Wendy sat down next me and held Chester in her lap and Snow Chester to her side.