wipeawaythedebt | Doors Plot: Night Has Fallen

The Midnight Isle is no longer empty, if it ever was. There are people now, four of them, people from far away and they don't know where they are or how they got there. They've been wandering, lost, worried, watching the long dark halls and listening to the strange sounds in the walls. They were alone, then in pairs and now they're together, locked in the command center. Time has passed, but there's power and there are records if the people are smart enough to pull them up. The door's got a good lock... for now.

Night, or what passes for it has come. The sounds are getting louder, whatever's there knows there's people on the Isle again. New people. Whole people. They have a taste for people now and they're wandering inside the walls, claws scratching inside their new metal home, looking for the people. They don't see well in the light, they don't like it, but power can't last forever. The generators have to cycle down every few months, they did six months ago and they're overdue. Must be running pretty hot by now. Tonight, maybe tomorrow, they'll shut down.

Tonight might be the last night these people have.

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"I can take car of myself, Emma, don't need someone to hold my hand. But those girls-" He points to Elizabeth and Sybil, "They need someone to get them out of here if things go bad." He needs to make sure that if he can't stop what's coming, Elizabeth will still have someone to keep her safe.

She's ready to argue, to protest in some way, but she doesn't have to be an expert to note his concern for Elizabeth, to pay attention to how important she is to him. If the situation was reversed, if this was Henry in here, she'd want him to do the exact same thing, and she knows it.

"Okay," she says, quietly, and places a hand on his arm for a few seconds.

He nods, not really speaking but glad she'll do what he's asked all the same. He's got the feeling that bad things are coming and while he knows Elizabeth can handle herself in a running fight, she still needs someone to do the shooting. She doesn't need more blood on her hands, even in self defense.

"You ever seen battle?" Seems a logical question to ask under the circumstances.

"As in actual - no," Emma replies, managing a wry smile. "Can't exactly say that that's been something that's happened."

Unless she counts actually having to face that dragon that one time, but - she's still in pretty heavy denial about that one.

"This goes as crazy as it might, just keep your head down, keep moving and keep the girls together." He looks over at them, his face unaccustomed to affection actually softening a little. "Elizabeth knows more than you think she might, she's good at keeping her head, useful in looking for things. She'll keep up. Don't know about the other one."

"Doesn't matter," Emma replies, her gaze drifting over to the girls again, watching them sort through the contents of drawers and cupboards while talking quietly.

"They'll both be safe. I promise."

"Thank you." If he's not going to be able to keep his promises to Elizabeth, least he can do is make sure someone else can if he's gone. 'Cause he's really thinking this is gonna go bad and he knows, without any hesitation, that's he's the biggest gun in the group.

"Listen, I know we haven't gotten a chance to really..." He still doesn't know what to call whatever it is between them. "But you're a good woman, Emma Swann."

There's a lot she never got to say to Graham because she'd thought they'd have more time, a lot she never got to do. She doesn't want to carry those same regrets for another man. She doesn't think her heart could bear the load again.

When she leans in to kiss him, there's no fanfare or attention she draws to the act. Her lips simply graze the corner of his mouth before she pulls back, expression setting firm.

His eyes close briefly, feeling the light touch of her breath on his face before her lips touch his. There's a tightness in his chest that only gets tighter, torn between pulling her closer and pushing her away for her own good. He was married once, but that was so long ago, he doesn't hardly remember it, but he can almost remember the beginnings of it. Reaching up, he cups her cheek with a hand that's almost trembling, feeling the side of his lip curl up into a smile.

"That supposed to mean something?"

In case we don't make it out of here is what hovers on the tip of her tongue before she swallows it back, forces it away. That's not the reason she wants to hold onto in case this goes south for any reason. Before she knows what's happening, he's cupping her face in his hand, and she gently tilts her head into that touch, managing a small shrug.

"It means whatever you want it to," she murmurs, letting his hand fall away when she turns to glance at the door.

He notices her turn and is glad for it, it keeps him from having to address the sudden lump in his throat. "You see something?" Because that would just be their luck, the noises in the walls coming to say hello. He's been thinking that he'd be happy if they stayed in the walls.

"No. I keep thinking I'm hearing things," she mutters, eyes narrowing slightly. "But I can't tell if they're just - the sounds of this place settling or something else entirely."

She's really, really hoping it's not the latter.

"It'll be okay. Go try and get some sleep, I'll take first watch." Probably take all of it if he can. Something comes, he has the feeling it's going to be him and his vigors doing the dirty work while Emma gets the girls out. Elizabeth will help, he doesn't know about Sybil, she seems a bit frail, but he hopes she'll keep up when hell comes.

Feeling a bit bold, I press a soft kiss to Emma's lips. "Go on. I'll wake you when it's your turn."

Doors Plot: Night Has Fallen

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