Chapter Text
BANG
Sonetto sprung up from her bed. It's nearly 3am. An intruder? She rushed into the lobby to find Regulus sitting on the floor holding Vertin's limp body against her.
“What happened?” Sonetto demanded. She rushed over to analyze Vertin's condition. Deep lacerations on her left shoulder. Light bruising. Superficial wounds.
“I was getting a late night snack and suddenly she came crashing down the stairs!” Regulus replied. The brunette stroked Vertin’s hair as if trying to soothe the unconscious girl. “Damn it, Vertin. How did this happen?” Her face paled as the red stain bloomed across her nightgown. Terrified Amber eyes gazed up at Sonetto.
“We need to stop the bleeding. I'm going to administer first-aid, you get Sotheby and the others.” She gripped Regulus’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. It's what Vertin would do. “Our Timekeeper won't go down that easily. She's going to be ok.”
Regulus nodded and raced down the hall shouting at every door she passed.
Sonetto turned her attention back to Vertin. Seeing her in such a state made her stomach flip. As Vertin's assistant, she's in charge until the Timekeeper is awake again. She took a deep breath. Now is not the time for hesitation.
“Woah! What's going on?” Jessica asked as she arrived at the scene. “I heard a crash and I smell blood and then Regulus–” The half-deer girl faltered when she saw Vertin's condition. “Explain later! Just tell me what to do!”
“I'll need a few more ingredients from the garden for the potion,” Sotheby called out. The alchemist held her night gown while she ran. Regulus was right behind her carrying Sotheby's portable alchemy kit.
Mr. Apple floated over to Jessica and called out the list of ingredients and their locations. “Leave it me!” Jessica said, storming into the Wilderness. Druvis helped Sonetto clean up the wounds and prep them for Sotheby's potions. The blonde gasped at the sight of the giant scar on Vertin's back. An old wound Vertin never spoke about. A moon, lines, and an eye stared back at them like an ominous painting on a canvas of skin as they finished prepping.
“Who did this to her?” Druvis asked.
Sonetto shook her head. “I’ve never asked.” She gently hoisted Vertin up with ease and rested her on the couch. “I'm waiting for the day she tells me on her own.”
Druvis propped her head in her lap. “This is all I can do for her at the moment.” She slipped her hand into Vertin's like a mother trying to comfort her febrile child.
Thanks to their quick response, Vertin was patched up in no time. The team released a collective sigh of relief when the minor injuries began to regenerate. Steam wafted off the medicine laced bandages wrapped around her torso, including the deepest one on her shoulder.
“Great work, everyone,” Sonetto praised.
“So, crisis averted,” Horrorpedia yawned as he entered the lobby. All eyes turned to him in disbelief.
“Where the hell were you?” Regulus snapped. “I told you she was hurt and you went back to bed!?”
“C'mon, it's Vertin. Our shining star won't kick the bucket that easily. You guys sure are noisy for people who should be used to this.”
“Ugh, go back to sleep,” Regulus grumbled. “Not like we need your help anyway.”
“Exactly! You didn't need me. I don't see the issue here. But I could lend her a new shirt since it appears you forgot how buttons work.” He gestured to the tattered button down Sonetto wrenched open.
Mr. Apple interrupted before things could escalate. “These injuries look like the work of Critters.”
Jessica nodded. “Not just any Critter. The kind that attacked Vertin are stronger during the full moon and they're extremely aggressive. It's best to leave them alone because they can be overwhelming in groups. My own little friends stay away from them too. But they're only active at night. What was Vertin doing out so late?”
“We'll have to ask her when she wakes up,” Regulus sighed. “I knew we should have stepped in sooner. This is the most I've seen her in weeks.”
“Vertin doesn’t normally keep us in the dark. She has her reasons,” Mr. Apple said. He floated toward Horrorpedia. “I’ll take you up on that offer in case the medicine on the bandages stains her clothes. Wouldn't want to ruin another of Vertin's shirts.”
Horrorpedia wasn't bothered in the slightest and excitedly invited Mr. Apple to his room. “We should give her the Carbuncle hoodie! I won it at a fair but it was too small. She'll love it! Well, I'll love it because it'll be hilarious and she likes it when we're happy so it's basically the same thing.”
Their voices faded into background noises for Sonetto. She knelt down on the floor in front of the couch and watched the rise and fall of Vertin's breaths.
Now that the worst has passed, her anger returned with a vengeance. She was right here! She would have gone with her!
Jessica joined her on the floor. “Do you think she's dreaming right now?” She whispered to Sonetto. “What does someone without wishes dream about?”
“I hope it's peaceful because I'm not letting her off easy when she wakes up.” Sonetto went over all the information she gleaned from the evening. It's unlikely Vertin happened upon a nest of such aggressive nocturnal Critters by accident. She must have sought them out. But why?
Then she remembered the Critter extermination ads in the paper. Vertin crossed out almost all of them. While the Timekeeper didn't willingly show her the edits she made, she glimpsed them from over her shoulder out of curiosity.
At first she thought Vertin was simply surveying the area and monitoring their activity for the Foundation's records. Was she actually taking on those jobs?
While she was deep in thought, Druvis helped Vertin into the hoodie. Horrorpedia has his ways, but she has to thank him for the sight of Vertin being swallowed up in the plush fabric. Without her suit and hat, she looks…younger. Dare say, cuddly. She giggled when Sotheby pulled the cat-eared hood over her head. The Timekeeper has a knack for making her smile even when she isn't awake.
No wait! She’s supposed to be mad!
“Sotheby, where did you get this alchemy set? It's like a mini lab!” Regulus asked as she helped her pack up. “Must have cost a small fortune.”
“Vertin gave it to me. With this I can make potions almost anywhere.” She held up a bag of Salted Mandrakes. “And she got me these! I didn't expect to use them so soon though.”
“Salted Mandrakes in this season? She must have pulled strings somewhere to pull that off.” She paused. “She got me a new tool box recently. I used it to fix my radio.”
Mr. Apple followed their line of thought. “We never run out of wine, meat, or Dr. Papper for that matter. The pantry and fridge are always stocked.”
Druvis fiddled with the ears on Vertin's hood. “I assumed we were using the Foundation’s funding for everything.”
Sonetto didn't know whether she should laugh or cry. The answer was sitting right in front of them in all the things they took for granted. “The Foundation tends to lean on the side of frugality when it comes to our department. Vertin must have been working to compensate.”
Jessica chimed in, “I got new brushes, and construction paper, and a collar–”
“A collar?" Regulus interrupted.
“Yes! A very nice one. Every pet should have a collar. I asked her for it so people know where I belong.”
Druvis whispered into Sonetto’s ear. “Don't worry, Vertin has more sense than that. It's a choker, not a collar.” Sonetto shook her head. Typical Vertin. If Jennifer hears this she'll wring her neck.
“Oh dear, I thought Jennifer talked to you about this. You're not a pet,” Mr. Apple corrected.
Jessica tilted her head. “Isn't a pet a friend that is fed, sheltered, and loved by their owner?”
Regulus tried to help. “Vertin doesn’t own you–”
“But I signed a paper! Didn't you? It says we are Vertin’s responsibility and that is why we get to live in the Suitcase.”
“Well, yes, but– Druvis stop laughing!”
“I wasn't,” Druvis deadpanned.
“You were,” Regulus huffed. “With your eyes.”
“Oh! Do you not know how to read?” Jessica asked. “It's ok, we can read it together next time. I am very good at it!”
Regulus balked. “How did you jump to that conclusion!?”
“To be fair, you hardly ever read the fine print, Captain.”
The tiniest chuckle came from the couch.
“Druvis!”
“That wasn't me.”
Sonetto squinted at Vertin. “Sotheby, how long until she's fully healed?”
“Around two days or so, but she should wake up before that.”
“I see,” Sonetto said with an edge in her voice that quieted the others' bickering. “Timekeeper. Are you awake?”
Silence.
“Um…” Sotheby began.
“Remember her bullet wounds in the Walden? She immediately bounced back from that and kept fighting. She's been like that since we were kids. Isn't that right, Timekeeper?”
Vertin didn't budge.
“I think I know what we have to do!” Jessica brushed her long dark hair behind her ear. “I saw it in a movie once!”
She leaned forward.
Sonetto gasped. “What are you doing!?”
But Vertin reacted before she could finish her sentence. She lifted her hand and scratched the fawn endearingly behind her ears, making her stop in place. “Jess, if you do that Jennifer might actually kill me.”
“Vertin! You're awake!” the Changeling cheered.
“Bloody hell, Vertin!” Regulus scolded. “Scared me half to death!”
“Sonetto was right!” Sotheby said.
Vertin gave them a sheepish smile.
“Timekeeper.”
Vertin turned her head and hid her face against Druvis. “It hurts…”
Druvis stroked her hair. “What hurts?”
“The daggers Sonetto’s glaring into me. I could cry.” She peeked up at Sonetto and for a moment they were kids again. Mischief twinkled in her eyes the same it did all those years ago Vertin used to slip toffees into her desk.
Sonetto tried to stay mad. She should be stern and focused. But she couldn't.
Vertin was finally home. She was smiling and joking and safe–
Tears welled up in her eyes. A hiccup followed.
Vertin bolted upright, startling everyone in the room.
“Oi! Watch your wounds!” Regulus chided.
Her voice fell on deaf ears. Vertin began wiping away the crying girl's tears with her thumbs. “I'm here, Sonetto. I'm ok. I'm sorry I scared you.” She cupped her face with both hands and pressed their foreheads together. “We're OK…”
Sonetto wrapped her arms around her neck and held her tight. She buried her face in the crook of Vertin's neck and sobbed. It didn't take long for Regulus and the others to join her.
Vertin accepted the crushing embrace without flinching. “I missed you all,” she admitted.
“You owe us an explanation,” Regulus demanded while releasing her.
Vertin nodded and decided to make eye contact with the floor. There's no top hat to hide her expression and despite the adorable hoodie, tension thickened the air. “You all chose to come with me. You left behind your old lives and trusted me. But being alive is more than just getting by. I wanted the Suitcase place to be everything you needed it to be…” her voice trailed off. “And I failed you. I made all these promises but–”
“ Fai silenzio !” Sonetto interjected. “Vertin, the only thing you failed to do was to trust us too. We're in this together! You shouldn't be doing everything alone.”
Druvis nodded. “We didn't resist the Foundation just to save our skin. We did it because we care about you too. Without you, the Suitcase could never be home.”
Vertin shook her head. “I'm not going to ask you to hunt Critters and till potato fields. You're already risking your lives on missions from the Foundation.”
Druvis straightened her back. “Firstly, my arcanum could till five potato fields in minutes. Secondly, I'm quite fond of potatoes. They're very humble vegetables. From now on if you come across any field related work, let me handle it. It will cost me nearly nothing to do.”
Regulus sighed. “You're not our dad, Vertin. You're our boss. Lead us in the way only you can. That's why we're all standing here in the first place.”
Vertin placed her hand over the right side of her chest. “There are a lot of promises I made that I couldn't keep. I wanted this time to be different.”
Sonetto resisted the urge to pull her back into a hug. Her voice was so fragile, it cut into her heart like brittle glass. Vertin deserves to be happy as much as everyone else but how can she make her understand that? Luckily, she had a devoted crew behind her to assist in getting through to the Timekeeper.
To Vertin.
“And it is different,” Mr. Apple said. “You relying on us doesn’t contradict your promise. We followed you with that in mind. I'd rather have you at my back than the Foundation or Manus Vindictae at my throat.”
“Let us realize your wishes,” Sonetto said. “The same way you've done for us.”
“Agreed! Let us take care of you too!” Sotheby said.
Vertin finally lifted her head and met the eyes of the people around her. “I haven't been able to paint in a while. It wasn't in the budget.” The hesitant confession was more delicious than the tiramisu Sonetto had a few days ago. She smiled, encouraging Vertin to continue. “And I miss my favorite brand of tea.”
“Holy hell,” Regulus uttered. “I was wondering why you stopped buying the fancy tea and started sipping that cheap crap. It tastes like dirty leaf water.”
Vertin paused in thought. She glanced up at Sonetto. “I miss being greeted…”
Sonetto’s ears burned.
“Ah, should I greet you too then?” Jessica asked. “Two kisses on each cheek right?”
Jessica is a sweet girl.
However, they really need to convince Jennifer to stay in the Suitcase so she stops clinging to Vertin.
Regulus guffawed at the jealousy plastered across Sonetto's face. “Does that include me too? Vertin, bring those freckles over here!” She pinched Vertin's cheeks instead of greeting her il bacetto style. Sonetto breathed out a sigh of relief. She should have guessed Regulus was messing with Vertin. The Timekeeper's unamused face juxtaposed perfectly with her ridiculous hood.
Regulus let her go. “Oh my gosh, are you pouting? Didn't think you could be such a baby.”
“I'm not pouting. You can read faces as well as you can read fine print.”
“I held you in my arms and this is how you treat me? Fine, you'll get no kisses from this Captain. Sonetto, she's all yours.”
Sonetto's blush brightened. “M-mine?”
Druvis placed her hand atop Vertin's head. “Alright, I think you’ve teased her enough. She still needs to rest, right Sotheby?”
“The potion accelerates healing processes so the more energy she conserves the better,” Sotheby explained.
Druvis peered down into Vertin's eyes. “We’ll talk later, understood?”
Vertin nodded.
The crew said their goodnight and shuffled back to their respective rooms. Except Sonetto. She walked with Vertin to her room. “Timekeeper?”
Vertin faced her. Gray skies intertwined with emerald fields. Sonetto put her arms around her neck and placed a lingering kiss on her cheek. It wasn't the traditional greeting, but it felt right. Vertin returning the gesture confirmed that she was indeed right.
Everything was right again.
“Welcome home.”