Patton Universe: A Sanders Sides/SU AU

Part 6: One Good Thing

The population of the beach, along with the majority of the townsfolk, were watching in awe at this grand yellow screen sheltering them that seeming spawned out of nowhere. It stood there for a few moments but then cracked and shattered into a million tiny fragments, who themselves disintegrated into nothingness and the sky was once again clear. Emile rushed over to where his son was curled up, breathing quite shallowly but seemingly not in any immediate danger, and scooped him up like a sleeping toddler,

"Buddy?" He whispered, knowing there was a slim chance of a reply, as he pushed the hair from the boy's eyes. On his palm, he spotted a dim glow beginning to die down from within the gem, flickering slightly. "Was that you?"

Logan, who otherwise would be right to Patton's side, was approaching a quivering Amythest by the shore. He was hunched over both hands firmly clasped over his mouth and though you wouldn't see as his face was buried in his hoodie, he was crying quite heavily. "Topaz..." The red eye's remains were still smouldering away, leaving thick clouds to fill the area with the pungent smell of burning metal. As it had made an initial impact with the barrier the head it was hit with such force that it had turned into large chunks scattered around with the worst of them lodging itself into the hill. Sadly, Logan doubted there would be anything useful he could salvage from it for his research and moving it was already going to be a pain.

Roman escorted Emile up the path and to Patton's bed where he gently set him down. It wasn't often Roman saw unconscious lifeforms, let alone one he held so dear, so to see him there, lying so absent of life was deeply unsettling. Almost sleeping, yet still awake, unable to open his eyes. He wondered if it was similar to the feeling of incubating in his gem but that was something he could never get a fulfilling answer for. Emile was stuck to his son's side, sitting right by his feet on the bed, ruminating on what had just happened.

"Will he be okay?" he asked the gem, absent of joy.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll wake up so-"

"No. Will he be alright? With you guys? On these missions? How do I know he's not going to get hurt? I know you tell me to stay out of gem stuff but.. He's my son, Roman."

He chuckled in reply.

"Is this funny to you?"

"No, no. It's just he was recently asking Logan just the same thing." He fiddled meticulously with the newly added star upon his sash, "I can't promise you that Patton will live his life perfectly unharmed by our missions but what I can say is that every one of us would see ourselves hurt well before anything happened to that boy." The therapist thought, as he so often did, about this and glanced over at a picture frame propped up right next to the window by his bed. All four faces of the inhabitants of this house smiled back at him from the couch sitting a few feet away with such figure it was hard to not crack a slight grin of his own,

"He loves you guys, y'know? I can't stop him from doing all this. It'd break him."

The duvet rustled a bit as the child levered himself onto his side, resting upon his arm weakly. "Dad?"

"Hey, Bud. How are you feeling?"

"What happened? I feel all tingly."

Roman, having nipped downstairs briefly, reemerged holding 3 steaming cups balanced between his fingers. It was one of his more traditional creations but a family favourite with cream and marshmallows drifting peacefully on top. "Want some?" he offered, nudging one in Emile's direction before setting another down on the bedside table.

"Cheers," The cup was almost scolding to hold so it was quickly placed by his feet on the floor but he smiled gratefully nonetheless. "You just got a little tired, I think." Slowly, as to not flood him with all this new information, he recounted the recent events, taking care not exclude a single detail.