Chapter Text
Nancy Domsalski had donated her family's grave plots to the families who lost their children, like how she lost all three of hers. And to the remaining Guardians of Arcadia, so they may be buried alongside their friends, their family.
The town had all pitched in to set up a memorial outside of the graveyard, titled “Guardians of Arcadia” it spoke of the glories of the Guardians, but also that one of them was just a child. Someone's life who had ended before it really began, an adventurous short life.
It spoke of how so many of them may have not had blood family's, that they had and always will have family in Arcadia, for generations to come.
Darci sat away from the crowd, on a park bench, erected in honor of Nomura. Her museum in view of it, with ornate patterns carved into the bench.
“How are you doing hon?” A elderly women asks, shooing off her equally as old companion so she could have a moment alone with her.
“I’m okay.” Darci fakes a smile.
“Now we both know that isn't true.” She sits down, “I take it you knew my boy?”
“Your boy?”
“Yes, my Toby-Pie. He was one brave, good boy.” She says, wiping her eyes with an orange handkerchief.
“Yea, I did.” Her voice cracks before she breaks down in tears.
“Poor dearie.” The elderly woman says, who Darci now realizes is Nancy Domsalski, Toby’s infamous grandmother.
“I’m sorry, he was your grandson, I should be comforting you.” She says, wiping her eyes before she is handed a tissue. “I just, he's gone y'know? And I wasn't there!”
“Now, now hon, no need for apologising, this isn't the first child I have lost.” Nancy says, “And don't you go beating yourself up over not being there when he passed. You were there for him in life, weren't you?”
“For a while, I guess, yea.”
“Then he will always remember you as the woman who loved him.” She wipes her eyes again, pausing so Darci can have a moment to breathe. “He always talked about you, yknow.”
“He did?”
“I'm not sure if he ever said it to you, but from what I could tell, he was in love with you.”
“How could you tell.”
“Same way I could tell that my daughter in law was the one for my son, it's always in the eyes.” She sighs, not sure where to go from here.
And for a while, they just sat in silence, watching the funeral continue. At one point they started sharing stories of Toby, Darci’s were more sweet or funny. While Nancy’s stories were all from his childhood.
Darci wished they would have met each other while he was still here. That Toby would've introduced her before he left. Before she got a call from Claire, telling her that he was dead.
Nancy wishes that Darci will move on and not live her life in regrets, that she won't wish she did something different to try and save him. Nancy knew, as soon as she found out about him being a trollhunter. That one day he wouldn't come home, that the job was dangerous. That her brave, good boy had to be the one by James’ side, until the end.
They sit for awhile, even after the funeral ends and the family’s disperse. Even when Darci’s father asks her if she needs a ride home, she doesn't leave until the last possible moment. Promising that she'll visit Nancy and that she did. For years after Darci would visit her almost daily, she became like a daughter to Nancy.
Toby was gone, but that doesn't mean it's over. She remembers him, whenever she visits Nancy, when she begins visiting the rock museum. When she graduated alongside the remaining trollhunters and when everyone grew up and had children. She never dated, but eventually she did adopt a young boy and named him after Nancy’s son.. Something Toby said he always wanted to do, because that's what Nana did for him.