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Their new home was quiet, aside from a gentle salty breeze blowing through the open windows, when Omega returned from her visit to Lyana's house in the early afternoon. Wrecker was fishing down by the docks, and she had passed Crosshair a few moments ago taking Batcher down for a walk along the beach.
That still left Hunter.
She wandered through the house she still couldn't believe was theirs in search of the man, eager to find him, to tell him all about her morning, to ask him about his, and then to simply be with him, enjoying his company for the rest of the day, until evening fell and they all gathered to eat dinner. She smiled to herself as she envisioned them all seated around the wooden table on the terrace, bathed in the colourful glow of the evening sunset. It had quickly become her favourite way to end the day. Lately, she found herself wanting nothing more than to be by her brothers' sides, after spending so much time apart from them. Of course, she happily explored the island on her own, relishing in her newfound freedom, safety and peace. But the blissful rush of warmth and joy she felt every time she came back to them — she wanted to live in that feeling, forever. And now, at last, maybe she could.
She soon reached the small bedroom Hunter claimed as his own. It was quite bare, aside from a bed and simple wooden shelves scattered with Hunter's few belongings. Sunlight gleamed through the open window as the breeze rippled the pale blue curtains that framed it like small waves.
Lying on the bed, motionless aside from the rhymtic rise and fall of his chest, was Hunter. To her surprise, he didn't wake at the sound of her footsteps, a testament to how deeply in need of rest he was. Usually, the smallest sound was enough to disturb his sleep. But Tantiss had taken its toll, physically, mentally and emotionally. Omega knew it would take more than the five days they had been back on Pabu to recover from it. As tranquil and restful as their new home was, it could not heal their injuries, or their trauma, overnight.
The sight of Hunter sleeping brought a smile to her face. There was no denying the man had run himself ragged fighting to get her back, then fighting to keep her safe, then fighting to get her back again. Now, finally, he could rest.
Omega sighed. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but words failed her every time she tried, often getting caught in her throat as she blinked back tears. There was a cluster of feelings that seemed to burn in her chest, like a star, every time she thought of him and everything he'd done for her. This man scoured the entire galaxy five times over in search of her. He never gave up; the very thought of doing so probably never even crossed his mind. He came back for her, time and time again. He risked his life for her, over and over. He protected her and cared for her. He gave her a home. A family. And with that came a feeling she had never truly known until she joined her brothers. A feeling of warmth and safety that wrapped around her like a cozy blanket. A bright light that shone down on her like the rays of the glowing sun. A certainty that someone would be there, always, to catch her if she fell, to watch her back, to stand by her side, to guide her path, and to bring her back home. Shoulders to cry on, arms to embrace her close, and hands to hold hers and never let go.
Love.
"Now, we get to choose who we want to be... Whatever we want, kid. Whatever we want," Hunter had told her as they sat together beneath the weeping maya tree, worn and weary, after returning from Tantiss.
Omega knew what she wanted. She'd always known. Now, she just hoped and prayed no one would ever take it away from her again.
She climbed onto the bed, careful not to disturb Hunter as she settled into the space beside him. A comforting feeling of peace washed over her as she closed her eyes, allowing the gentle sounds of the island breeze and Hunter's quiet breathing to lull her to sleep.
The golden light of the afternoon sun pouring through the window danced across Hunter's vision as he slowly opened his eyes. A deep ache still weighed heavy in his muscles and bones, accompanied by the kind of exhaustion one good nap would unfortunately not relieve, though to his surprise, he did feel quite relaxed and somewhat rested.
His mind still hazy with sleep, it took him a moment to notice her, but when he did, a smile instantly spread across his face at the sight of Omega curled up asleep beside him. She looked so peaceful, her face relaxed, breathing evenly, waves of blonde hair strewn across the pillow. A few loose strands lay across her face, so he brushed them back with his fingers, his touch feather-light so as not to wake her, though, selfishly, he wanted nothing more than to scoop her up into his arms and hold her close. In the afternoon light, she seemed to glow, as if her hair and skin were made of gold. Beautiful. Precious. Perfect.
As he studied her quietly, Hunter's gaze suddenly halted as it fell on the tiny pin-prick indent in the back of the girl's hand, and a cuff of finger-length yellowish-green bruising snaking around her upper right arm. His heart dropped as images flashed into his mind of a gloved hand latched onto her like the jaws of a serpent, of a blaster pressed to her temple in malicious threat. A fiery rage burned in the pit of his stomach, but it quickly simmered, as a wave of bitter sadness crashed in its place. The marks across the girl's skin were just a physical reminder of what he already knew — she had been hurt, a lot. Isolation. Imprisonment. Experimentation. Grief. Guilt stung at the thought of his promise to protect her, which he had failed to uphold, repeatedly. He wished for nothing more than to take all that pain away from her. He would gladly bear it all himself, if only he could. Omega often wore a brave face, shouldering her burdens with the strength of a soldier, but he knew her well enough now to see beneath the mask as it began to crack. In time, he knew her wounds would heal, perhaps leaving behind some tenderness or a scar, while the pain of the past faded to a distant memory, rather than a haunting nightmare. For now, the best he could do was offer her comfort and safety. He couldn't take the pain from her, but he could walk with her through it, so she wasn't alone.
Though she looked quite small curled up like a dozing tooka on the bed, Omega had grown a lot in the past months, no longer the little girl they had rescued from Kamino, now taller, wiser, more independent. A part of him ached with anxious worry that time was slipping away from him, but he pushed those feelings aside, and instead just regarded her in awe, a sense of pride blooming inside of him at the thought of all Omega had done on Tantiss, her bravery, determination, strategy, leadership, and strength. She truly was the sum of their best parts, and more, for Omega’s compassionate, good-natured heart was all her own.
That single decision, to go back for her that day on Kamino, had shifted the course of their lives forever. Meeting her gave their lives a new meaning and purpose. Without her, they would be lost souls adrift in an endless, dark galactic void. Omega became their guiding light, their reason for fighting, for living, for dying. She was the bright star at the centre of their universe, and they were all the better for being pulled into her orbit, for living in the midst of her light and love, for knowing her and loving her. She was truly something special, not because she was a scientific marvel, but simply because she was. It was her that was special. Not her DNA, not her blood. Her. Their little sister. Their kid. Their Omega.
For Hunter, it went beyond that. Hunter loved his brothers, though rarely did they ever utter the word. But with Omega, it was different. It was like he'd been stripped bare of his armour piece by piece, leaving him unguarded, vulnerable. Now, he felt everything, in ways that transcended anything he had ever known. It was as if his heart and soul had been torn open. He felt pain more excruciating than ever before, fear more terrifying than the worst of his nightmares. But also joy, beyond his wildest dreams. Loving her was like holding the galaxy in his arms, because she was everything, at least to him.
"Now, we get to choose who we want to be... Whatever we want, kid. Whatever we want." That was what he had told her, when she rested her head against his shoulder and his heart burst. His past self seemed like a stranger to the man he was now. Omega had illuminated something deep inside of him, something he never knew he possessed. From the moment they pried her from the clutches of Kamino and whisked her away into the stars, he knew, if it came to it, that he would lay down his life for hers, overcome by this strange fierce protectiveness over her. Loyalty, he had called it then, but it was more than that. Cut and Suu saw it, and later Shep, but Hunter hadn't quite understood it. Now, though he would still give his life for hers without hesitation, still fight for her until his dying breath, there was something he desired so much more. He didn't want to die for her, he wanted to live for her. He wanted to see her smiling face every morning. To take her to the beach, so they could swim in the ocean and watch the sunset together. To tend to her when she was ill or injured. To comfort her when she was upset or frightened.
He wanted to care for her, to protect her, to watch over her. He wanted to be there for her, whenever she needed him, and when she didn't, just in case. He wanted to hold her in his arms every day, even just for a moment. He wanted to be there for all the good days and the bad days, all the joys and the frustrations. He wanted to watch her grow, for as long as time and his rapidly aging body allowed him, and be proud of the woman she became.
He wanted to be like Cut, like Shep.
A father.
Because even though she was their sister, Omega was their kid. She was his kid. She always would be.
A quiet sigh pulled him from his thoughts as the girl beside him stirred. Slowly, her brown eyes blinked open, heavy-lidded. When her weary gaze finally focused on him, she smiled softly. Hunter rolled over onto his back with an audible groan as his muscles protested the movement. Omega silently followed, wriggling closer to rest her head against his chest, tucked underneath his arm. He brought his hand up to the girl's head, gently stroking his fingers through her hair. Breathing another sleepy sigh, she closed her eyes, but not before reaching an arm across his middle.
Hunter smiled, content to stay that way until she next stirred.
Or forever.