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The trail of smoke from John’s plane wreckage twirls up into the sky. The Deputy, sweaty and tired, turns around and heads for Fall’s End. Their hands shake slightly on the yoke, body still pumped full of adrenaline. They took a minute to collect themself after John’s death, but feelings take time to fade, even in Eden’s Gate.
The confrontation with John plays through Rook’s mind again and again, but it cuts out and pieces together again like an old movie where the film isn’t rolled quite right. They think of the plane becoming a ball of fire midair. Of the sound John’s body made when it hit the dirt and how his head made a hollow thunk as it bounced. In their mind, all too clear, they hear the ramblings of a man who knew he was about to die.
“Look around you. This world is on the brink. You can feel it in your bones. Look at the headlines. Look at who’s in charge. You want this key because you think you're saving people, but they’re already safe. We had a plan.”
They remember looking into his eyes as he breathed his last.
‘Good riddance.’ Rook thinks. They’re not about to mourn him. But his words weigh heavy in their mind. They rattle around and the deputy finds that they’re unable to think of much else. They survey the ground below the plane. ‘What are you doing? Zoning out in the middle of a low altitude flight? You’re no use to the resistance dead, moron.’
They reach the stretch of road approaching Fall’s End and land there, running the plane just off the pavement into a nearby field to allow cars to pass by. They make their way into town to find a place to rest.
A small flock of birds takes off from the nearby stream. As they watch them take flight, the deputy feels the shakes in their body gradually leave. Static crackles over their radio, and their brain takes a second to actually listen, before they realize who it is.
“Um… This is Kim Rye calling out to Nick and the Deputy.” Kim’s voice lifts up at the end, like it’s a question. “When you get a chance, can you please swing by the house? Please? No emergency or anything… uh… yet.”
The *kssht* of the transmission ending sends the deputy into a panic. What’s going on? Did the peggies not clear out? They normally turn tail pretty quick, but Rook doesn’t want to risk it. Looking around, they spot an abandoned truck with the Eden’s Gate flag slathered over it. Thankfully, the keys are nearby on a half-constructed roadblock. Only a sliver of a thought goes into thinking if the owners fled, or were killed. It’s surprising how fast these things become normal, or at least, as normal as they can get. Dep slams on the gas and speeds off down the road.
--
That god-forsaken music is playing over the radio and they frantically slam the buttons with one hand in an attempt to turn it off. It switches to a different station (Country, blaringly loud) but anything is better than the shit the Peggies crank out. They almost miss the turnoff for Rye & Sons, and turn so hard they feel the car lift up on one side. When they escape this hellhole, it’s going to be weird to drive normally again.
Rook practically flings themself out of the truck, not even bothering with the door. When they approach the Rye house, they hear labored breaths inside. They draw their gun and slowly edge the door open, but instead of seeing the bloodbath they imagined, they see Kim, hunched over on the couch.
They holster their pistol and walk over. Kim’s breaths are ragged, and she clutches her distended stomach.
“Where the fuck is Nick?” She gasps out, puffing short breaths through her teeth. Nick, with his wonderful timing, pushes the door open behind the deputy. “Whoa! Kim! What the hell is going on?”
Kim grabs Nick’s hand in a vice-grip. Dep feels a little awkward just standing there, so they walk to the kitchen and fill a glass with water before placing it on the coffee table in front of Kim. She doesn’t notice. Nick gives a weak “Kim- ow ow- Kim, honey, you're hurting my hand.” and Kim reaches out to the deputy, who offers theirs as well. She pulls herself off the couch with a grunt. Dep briefly wonders, should she be walking?
Nick walks her out the door, commenting on his hurt hand (she’s still squeezing) while the Deputy grabs the keys from the table near the door. Kim grunts out a “LET’S GO!” as she descends the porch stairs, and Nick opens the car door to climb inside alongside her.
‘Hm.’ Thinks Rook. ‘Guess I’m driving.’
They’ve barely done up their seat belt before Kim yells “DRIVE!” and Nick makes another remark about his hand. The Deputy realizes that they don’t know where they're going.
Nick, although a wonderful flying instructor, is a terrible back seat driver, which is made worse by the distractions of Kim screaming in the back seat (Not her fault) and pigs on the fucking road (Very much someone’s fault)
“Am I being a good partner?” Nick sounds kind of like a redneck puppy-dog. “I want to be supportive.”
Before Kim has time to answer, the Deputy swerves around a hay bale (what’s with all this debris?) and so she screams instead. Nick puts a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry honey, the deputy knows how to drive!”
And then, the deputy drives off an ATV ramp.
The car’s in the air, and it feels like one of those times that a movie would pause and you’d hear a record scratch accompanied by the Deputy’s voiceover: “Yep, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I got here.” But it’s not a movie, and so instead they all scream. Dep’s stomach does flip-flops. The tires whirr as they continue spinning without anything to grip on to.
By some miracle of the lord the car lands safely, and the bridge makes a sound beneath them but otherwise stays solid. Nick laughs nervously and Kim continues to wail. “Just up here, take a left and then it’s just straight ahead!” Nick places his free hand on Kim’s leg, rubbing small circles into her thigh. “Casey taught me some breathing exercises, let’s try. Come on. Are you okay?”
“I AM NOT OKAY. NONE OF THIS IS OKAY.”
Nick suggests a shortcut, but Kim screams to stay on the main road. Despite Nick’s insistence that it’s faster and totally safe, Rook decides to go with the option presented to them by the pregnant woman. They speed up the driveway like a madman and skid to a stop in front of the garage. The midwife comes running out of the house with a wheelchair as the two approach with Kim draped across their shoulders. She briefly chastises them both (“How dare you drive so recklessly!”) before wheeling Kim inside a room.
--
The labor isn’t long, but it’s loud. Kim shouts in pain and the deputy can barely hear Nick’s soft replies through the door. He sticks his head out once, and thanks the Deputy with tired eyes. After another ten minutes or so, Dep decides to take a breath of fresh air. They think about the Rye family plane. Will the child get to fly it too? Will they get to experience a life outside of the hell that is Eden’s Gate?
They reflect for a while, maybe too long, because the next thing they see is Kim being wheeled out of the midwife’s house holding a small pink bundle. Nick pushes her down to the deputy. Dep can see joy in their eyes.
“Hey…” Nick wheels Kim right up, and she tilts the bundle ever-so-slightly to expose a soft face. “Wanna come meet your goddaughter?”
The deputy doesn’t often afford themself the luxury of crying. But there's something so sweet… so innocent about this child that they can’t stop tears from rolling down their cheeks at the sight of her. She’s quiet, asleep in her mother’s arms. Her face contorts a bit as a gust of cold air blows soft across her face.
Kim gazes down at her like she’s the most precious thing in the world.
“She’s beautiful.”
The Deputy reaches a gloved hand out to take Kim’s offered one. She squeezes softly before maneuvering their arm around the bundle, allowing the deputy to gently stroke the child’s face. Nick gives a chuckle at their awestruck expression. “Looks like I’m gonna have to change the name of my business after all, huh?”
The deputy laughs too, softly, before looking up to see Kim smiling down at them, tears forming in her eyes. “You probably don’t hear this enough, but... thank you. For everything that you’ve done. Whatever you need…” She looks up to Nick, taking his hand. “We’ll be there for you.”
Nick nods. He looks down at Kim and his daughter. The babe smacks her lips, tasting cold night air.
“C’mon. Let’s get you home.”