betterthanaplan | Absolutely not Fandom, Saturday, Fandom time

Octavia	Something smelled off. It wasn't a conscious thought just yet, because Octavia wasn't awake enough for one of those. But she was getting there. She'd gone to bed on the Rouge as normal, curled up on one side of Duke, safe in the knowledge that Lucifer was on the other side of him. And she was still curled up against Duke's side now. But now, something... smelled off.
Duke	Duke's sense of smell wasn't that great. But he could absolutely feel something off. Namely, the fact that one side of his body was colder than it should be. "Luce?" he muttered blearily, without opening his eyes. "You okay, man?"
Octavia	No answer. Hmh. "'D he go outside?" Octavia muttered. It was rare that Lucifer would be the first one up, but it did happen...
Duke	Duke huffed. "Maybe?" He rolled over slowly, towards the spot where Lucifer should be. And fell off the edge of the -- much smaller -- bed.
Octavia	Octavia immediately startled more upright at both the sound of it and the sensation of him abruptly slipping away. Her vision was still blurry, only half comprehending what she was seeing. (If even that? Not even that.) "Duke?"
Duke	"What," Duke said to the floor. "The fuck." He pushed up, blinking around. And woke up very abruptly. "What the fuck."
Octavia	Yeah, Octavia's gaze had also had time to skitter around long enough to fully wake her up. She knew what smelled off, now: every little thing about the interior of the boat - and something faint like perfume or shampoo or another scented thing. (Arms around her pulling her back and away from the pit --) "Duke," she said, slowly, "where are we?" She recognized the Sanguine Moon. (And the faintest whiff of Jennifer, apparently.) So maybe she was just asking in case that would somehow yield a different answer.
Duke	Duke didn't answer immediately, twisting in place to take another look around. Hoping he was somehow wrong. "Haven." Had two syllables ever been filled with more dread?
Octavia	Funny, Octavia just felt cold and numb inside all of a sudden. Though that didn't stop her from scrambling off the bed to look for something.
Duke	Duke pushed himself back against the bulkhead, hands coming up to fist in his hair. He needed a second to just freak the fuck out and then he could move on to dealing with whatever shit this town was planning to throw at them.
Octavia	"We need to call him." Yeah, Octavia had just sprung into action. Freaking out would have to wait until she could process any of this. "Where's my phone?" She wasn't really asking him. He was unlikely to know any better than she did: nothing was where they'd left it because this was not where they'd left it.
Duke	"Fuck," Duke said. He didn't have any clothes either. Well, not on him. And not on the floor where he would have left them. He uncurled and reached across to a trunk on the other wall. Unless Jennifer had moved them, he should have some emergency supplies in there. . . . "Burner," he said, tossing Octavia a flip phone. "Pants." Those were for him. He pulled them on, hopping a little as he tried to get them on. "Jennifer?" he called. "Jennifer!"
Octavia	Octavia's focus zeroed in on the phone. And dialing Lucifer's number. And praying she could get through.
Duke	“Jennifer!!” Duke shouted, heading above decks to look. It didn’t take long. The Sanguine Moon wasn’t large. He came back holding a phone of his own. “She’s not here.”
Octavia	Octavia had gone a little pale, still clutching the phone to her ear. "I can't get through to Lucifer." Oh. There was the dread, turning her spine into ice.
Duke	Fuck. Duke had already had his freakout time, though, so he stuck to just swallowing hard and nodding. "We won't until Haven wants to let us. He's okay, though. He's at home." Freaking the fuck out and doing who knew what to the Rouge, but -- well. Octavia knew that part. Him mentioning it too wouldn't be helpful.
Octavia	Octavia's hand fell. She was already stomping down the urge to freak out. It did leave her looking a little wild around the eyes, though. "What do we do now?"
Duke	Duke heaved in a deep breath. He didn't have a good answer to that. "I'm calling Jennifer. Maybe we can just . . . grab her and head for Baltimore the old fashioned way?" He was pretty sure that wasn't how it was going to happen.
Octavia	This was Haven, after all. But still: "Good enough for me." ... At some point here she should probably put on something more than just underwear and an oversized tee.
Duke & Jennifer	She could borrow some of Duke's emergency clothes. Or Jennifer's . . . regular clothes. Either way. "Jennifer," Duke said, when she answered. He put the phone into speaker mode so Octavia could hear too. "Octavia and I are back. We just -- woke up on the Sanguine Moon. . . ." "Duke! Oh my god, it's Duke, he's back!" Jennifer was talking a mile a minute, a sure sign that something was Up. "I'm not there. I'm at -- a safe house. William tried to kill me! I might be magic? I have a magic book. It killed a rugaru. Made of the black junk that made us all crazy. The book says that I'm the Child of Ruin and I have to find the Heart of Haven and I don't know what any of that means, but I'm in hiding because maybe it means I can save everyone!" "Um." Duke pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wait, what?"
Octavia	"Jennifer, slow down," Octavia said. Snapped? Close enough. "One thing at a time, start at the top."
Jennifer & Duke	"I don't know what the top is," Jennifer admitted. "Um. I guess there was a whole . . . wish thing? I didn't really get involved in that one. But I guess Duke was a cop." "Ew," Duke said. "Let's skip that part." "Okay. Then there was a -- a monster. The rugaru? It killed a bunch of people with my birthday. Because it was looking for me!"
Octavia	Octavia was going to have questions about the cop thing at some later time. Much, much later. "And a book killed it?"
Jennifer & Duke	"A trashy vampire romance novel. I found it in my birth parents' house." ". . . As you do," Duke said. He rubbed his nose with his free hand. "And -- now you're in a safe house?" "Uh huh! Vince and Dave are guarding me." "Well, I feel better." He very clearly did not.
Octavia	"Vince and Dave?" Octavia repeated, with a tone like Jennifer might as well have said she was being guarded by a couple of -- bumbling porgs or something. "Do you think this is what we got yanked back for?" As if there was any meaning to any of this.
Duke & Jennifer	"Fuck, I don't know. Maybe?" Duke shook his head. "Jennifer, whose safe house are you at?" "Nathan's? Is that bad?" Duke sighed. "Well, it means I know where you are, at least." He could only think of one spot Nathan would consider a 'safe house'. "Hang tight, we'll head right over."
Octavia	"And then we'll try to leave, right?" Just checking. Now that Nathan's name was in play again. (It wouldn't be long before Audrey's would be, too.)
Duke	“And take Jennifer with us,” Duke confirmed. “Maybe see if Gloria will skip town with us too.” He wasn’t going to suggest asking those two along. He wasn’t that masochistic. He’d just . . . have to keep worrying about them quietly from afar.
Octavia	"Gloria," Octavia breathed. "I'm calling her." Not because she thought Gloria would actually abandon this sinking ship of a town, but because -- Well, Gloria.
Duke	"Good. Yes." Duke nodded sharply. He didn't much think she would come with them either. But they had to try, right? "I'll . . . get us a car." By stealing one, probably. They didn't have time to bother with a rental.
Octavia	There was a scrambly sort of urgency to this attempt at a call, too. Gloria better pick up.
Gloria	It took a few too many rings, probably. Gloria was not having a very good day. "I'm sorry, Wild Cat," she said when she did answer. Her voice was gruffer than usual, tight with the effort to hold herself together. "I can't talk right now. Unless --" An audible breath. "Are you and Duke back in town?"
Octavia	Octavia's heart sank. Hearing Gloria sound like that felt like something buckling from underneath her. "Yes." There was no point in babbling.
Gloria	"Oh," Gloria said, sounding like her heart was breaking. "Octavia, I'm sorry. There's a trouble, it's extremely dangerous. Audrey's trying to help, but --" She choked up again, then seemed to make a decision. Even old battle-axes needed someone to talk to, sometimes. "It's Aaron. My grandbaby's troubled. And I don't know what we're going to do!"
Octavia	Yeah, something was definitely crumbling here. All Octavia could really do was try and grab hold of whatever it was that had made her get up and square her shoulders and get to work every damn day down in the bunker. Like it was up to her to carry things. "Dangerous like how?" Start with the facts.
Gloria	Gloria took a shuddering breath, appreciating Octavia's professionalism. (Hating having to depend on it.) "It's my late husband's family trouble. When they cry -- people die. That simple. But -- it's never activated on anyone this young before. Audrey and Nathan think that man, that William person, he must have altered little Aaron's trouble. Most of the family learns not to cry, but we can't teach a baby that!"
Octavia	The girl under the floor had begun her life as the baby under the floor, and couldn't help thinking about that. Just for a second. Then she shoved that aside. (Most of it, anyway. What remained wasn't really helpful.) "What was that about William?"
Gloria	"Oh lord," Gloria said with a sigh. "Were you here to meet him? I can't even keep track anymore." There was a sound of a rustle and a clink as Gloria took a drink of something on her end. "He's -- someone from Audrey's past, I guess. He can make troubles. Uses that goop that got in everyone's ears. Apparently Audrey can do it too, and she tried giving Lincoln one to counter Aaron's, but now -- well. Now Lincoln's as screwed as the rest of us, I suppose." That last was bone dry. (And a little brittle. She hadn't approved of Lincoln letting Audrey do that to him.)
Octavia	This was a lot of new information. And that familiar ache of hearing Lincoln when it had for so long meant just her Lincoln. And scorn over the fact that of course Audrey was just fucking up again. (She could give people troubles.) "Do you want us to come over there?"
Gloria	"Oh, I don't know. I wish I could tell you two to get somewhere safe, but if you could -- well, I suspect you'd have dragged Duke there already, wouldn't you." Gloria let out a long sigh. "Hell, if anyone's going to be able to talk sense into Audrey, it's Duke, at least. Nathan means well, bless him, but I don't think he's got a rational bone in his body. Especially not where troubles are concerned." Her voice went faintly tight again. "And I can't say I'd be sad to see you, Wild Cat. It might not make much sense, but I worry about you two when you're not around."
Octavia	It said a lot about Octavia's commitment (and attachment) to Gloria that she wasn't running in the opposite direction at the mere mention of Duke talking sense into Audrey. She swallowed. Nodded, uselessly. "We'll be there."
Duke	That was when Duke came back in, pulling on a button down. "Gloria's going to come with us?" he asked hopefully.
Octavia	Octavia checked with Gloria about where she actually was, then ended the call. Then shook her head. (Suppressing a shudder.) "No."
Duke	Duke rubbed his hand down his face. “There’s more going on than just Jennifer’s safe house thing, isn’t there.”
Octavia	"Aaron's troubled." And no, Octavia was not going to be thinking too much right now about her memory of meeting the kid. (Think he likes you.) There was just no room for that. "Her grandson." Her posture was going more rigid by the second. More soldier. "That William guy has something to do with it. He can give people troubles." Oh, and her voice was a flat rasp now. "And so can Audrey."
Duke	Duke stared. "What."
Octavia	Octavia was downright grim now. "She tried to give Lin--" No. "Tried to give Gloria's partner one."
Duke	"What." It was more of a hiss this time. "Why?!"
Octavia	"To counter the baby being troubled?" Said in a tone that suggested she really didn't know why Audrey did any of the things she did.
Duke	"What the hell kind of trouble does a baby have that it needs that?" Duke asked, shaking his head. This was what it had always felt like for Lucifer and Octavia when he got cornered into things by Haven, wasn't it. Just -- blankly horrified and desperate for another answer. It was not dissimilar to how he'd always felt too, but -- But he'd been able to pretend to be in control when it was things like "you have to kill this dying guy or hundreds of kids will murder their families."
Octavia	"When he cries, people die." It took everything for her voice not to crack. Had to go low and quiet instead.
Duke	Duke opened his mouth. Shook his head. ". . . Right," he said eventually. "Well. That -- sounds about right for this fucking town. Let's go, I guess."
Octavia	All Octavia did was nod. They were well and truly back in this bullshit.

Duke	"Audrey!" Duke called, storming his way across the lawn once they'd gotten to Gloria's son's house. "You gave someone a trouble?!" He was . . . not best pleased, no.
Octavia	Octavia had never really seen him angry at Audrey. Some dark part of her delighted in it. Not that you could tell by the way she marched after him, her mouth a thin line, her eyes scanning for Gloria.
Audrey & Duke	Gloria was inside for now, making phone calls, letting the rest of the family know about the loss of her daughter-in-law. Audrey was outside pacing, trying to find some other plan to help Aaron keep from killing anyone else. "Duke," she said when she saw him, relief evident in her voice even in the face of Duke's fury. "You're back." "Yeah. Just in time to hear that you can give people troubles," Duke said, stopping several feet away. Audrey nodded, swallowing. "I'm not -- I'd never done it before. But I guess the woman I was -- the original me --" Duke felt cold in a way that had nothing to do with suddenly being in Maine. "You made the troubles." "With William," Audrey said. She folded her arms over her chest, just barely keeping from hugging herself. "Yeah."
Octavia	This didn't feel like something Octavia needed to interfere with. She came to a stop a few paces away. The expression on her face unreadable.
Duke & Audrey	"How long have you known?" Duke asked. He was only vaguely aware of Octavia behind him now, too focused on Audrey. Even when he was pissed at her, she was still somehow one of the points his universe revolved around. "Not long," she said. "I didn't know last time you were here. I haven't been hiding anything." Duke narrowed his eyes at her. ". . . Yes," he said after a moment. "You are." Audrey looked away but didn't deny it.
Octavia	"We don't have time for this," Octavia said, cool and definite in her tone. (So much for not interfering.) "If it's relevant, spit it out."
Audrey & Duke . . . & Ben	Audrey shot her a dark look. Duke shifted between them. “What, Audrey?” “William thought me . . . troubling someone. Would bring the original me back out.” “And it did.” “Not — entirely.” “But a little.” Audrey nodded once, sharply, eyes focused somewhere over Duke’s shoulder. “Audrey,” Duke said, low and quiet. “You cannot do that again.” “What else am I supposed to do, Duke? Kill a baby?” Duke didn’t know how to answer that. It didn’t matter, though. Ben was approaching. Audrey shifted back a step, arms crossed tight over her chest. “No,” Ben said. He looked at Duke. “You have to kill me.”
Octavia	Octavia's gaze darted over to the newcomer. She'd never met Gloria's son, but it didn't take much to put two and two together. How could this manage to keep getting worse? (Because it was Haven, yes, she knew.)
Ben & Audrey & Duke	"I know about the Crocker curse," Ben said, staring up at Duke. "Kill me." Duke's mind whirled. This kept happening, first with Jack and Aiden, now this. Audrey was already shaking her head. "Okay, Ben, listen," she said, "that's really noble of you, but --" Duke held his hand up, cutting her off. "Hang on." He met Ben's gaze with a serious one of his own. "Are you sure about that?" "Am I sure I want to leave my son without any parents?" Ben shook his head. "No. But I don't know another way. I'm sure she didn't tell you, but Gloria considered the Crocker family curse a great blessing." Duke could see the pieces starting to fall into place. He felt cold, even as his heart rate jumped. (Even as part of him got excited.) "Why?" "It cured her family of their trouble," Ben said. "One of your ancestors killed one of hers." Ben swallowed, but his stance was firm. "I want to take this trouble to the grave." Duke nodded slowly. "All right."
Octavia	"What?" Nothing in Octavia was excited. Confused, yes. Also suddenly filled with dread.
Duke & Audrey	Duke's eyes skittered sideways towards her and he swallowed, but kept his focus mainly on Ben. "Take the baby up to the house," he told him. "We'll meet you there." Ben nodded and hurried away. Audrey grabbed Duke's arm, her voice a low hiss. "Are you crazy? You just told me off for troubling Gloria's partner, and now you want me to re-trouble you -- give you the Crocker family curse -- so that you can kill that baby's father?!"
Octavia	There was a violent urge inside Octavia to shove Audrey's hand away from Duke's arm. (Maybe she should have. Maybe some of this should have been let out.) Her eyes were big, her brow a stressed furrow. "Duke, tell me she has it wrong."
Duke	"I don't want any of this!" Duke said. (Even as he wondered if that was entirely true.) "But he is volunteering. And so am I." He swallowed hard, looking between the two of them. "You can't go on troubling person after person until you get it right, Audrey. Body count's just going to keep climbing. But we know me. We know my curse. I mean, just . . . one more hand slap, and we're done." He tried out a smile and knew he missed the mark. Hard. "I mean, it's . . . it's that, or we kill the baby." Duke, at least, had lived enough and done enough to maybe deserve whatever came next.
Octavia	He would have to forgive Octavia for not hearing half of that. The sudden sound of blood rushing in her ears was just too loud. Or maybe it was the quick chain of thoughts that led to her grabbing Audrey's arm to wrench the woman into facing her. "Trouble me instead."
Audrey & Duke	Audrey gaped at her. “Octavia. . . .” “No,” Duke said. “You don’t know what would happen.” “They’re based on — on you,” Audrey said. “I guess —“ she looked at Duke. “She is, you know, quiet?” “No.” Duke pushed his way between them. “No, Audrey, it’s me or no one.”
Octavia	Well, he could try push his way between them, anyway. Octavia wasn't letting up that easily. "Duke." She knew there wasn't a 'no one'. Not with him, not right now.
Duke & Audrey	“This could ruin your life, Octavia,” Duke hissed. “At least with me — the Crocker you see is the Crocker you get. We know my trouble. We know I can handle it.” “Duke —“ Audrey tried. She really didn’t want to do this to him. “Stay out of this, Audrey. You don’t know —“ He swallowed, not wanting to blab Octavia’s history. “You just don’t know, okay?” What if Audrey accidentally brought out Blodreina? At least Duke knew Octavia could take him down if he went bad. He didn’t think he could stand to hurt her if she did.
Octavia	Octavia couldn't find it in herself to really care what Audrey knew or didn't know right now. She'd probably appreciate his care later, though. "It could ruin your life, too!" Not even the trouble, not really, but Haven sucking him right back in.
Duke	Duke's lips turned up in something that wasn't really a smile. "Maybe. But I'll still have you and Luce. So it can't be that bad, can it?"
Octavia	There was something broken in the way Octavia was looking up at him now, fury giving way to... something else. She knew the clock was ticking, knew this concerned Gloria and her family, knew there was no real room for any real conversation about it all. No time for anyone to convince her this was a good idea. And no time for -- "Duke," she tried, but didn't know what to say. Wasn't his mind already made up?
Duke & Audrey	“I know,” Duke said softly. He pulled her in for a hug. “I know.” Audrey stood back, looking away to give them privacy. She didn’t like this any better than Octavia did. But she would set that aside for the good of the people. She was used to that. Apparently it was what she always did.
Octavia	Octavia hugged Duke back, but it was already stiff and stilted. What else was she supposed to do in this moment of accepting defeat, except to just let numbness take over? Put up a front and be a warrior.

Gloria & Ben & Duke

Gloria took the news of the new plan about as well as Octavia did.

"No. No, Benny. No!"

Ben held her tight. "It's the only way."

Gloria clung back, still shaking her head. "No, it can't be!" She spun on Audrey. "All the troubles you've solved in this town. . . . This is your plan -- to strip me of my family one by one?!"

"You called the Crocker family curse a blessing," Ben said gently, his eyes dry, no matter how clear it was that his heart was breaking, too. "When it cured your family of their trouble." He gave her a slight smile. "You know, I don't even know what it was."

Gloria swallowed, shaking her head. "I don't know either."

"How great would it be if Aaron's kids didn't know about this curse?" Ben's smile was bittersweet, but no less real for that. "You raised me as best you could, and I love you for it. I need you to teach Aaron how to live and how to feel. And how to cry without fear."

Gloria let out a sob and clung to him.

Behind them, well out of the way by the door, Duke turned away, hand rubbing down over his face. The people of this town must have done something truly terrible in a past life to earn all this.

Or maybe Lucifer was right, and it was all just down to a petty, distractable god with a sick sense of humor.

Audrey & Duke	They gathered on the porch, overlooking the bay. The Harker house was a beautiful one, large and classic, with a wide lawn and a gorgeous view. Not that any of that was much comfort in light of everything that was happening. Audrey stood in front of Duke, grim-faced. "Are we doing this?" she asked. Quietly hoping that somehow they wouldn't have to. That Jennifer and the Teagues would find the door that let the troubles in and the four people needed to close it, and she and Duke and the whole Harker family would get a last minute reprieve. But then, Haven never worked like that, did it. "Yeah," Duke said, opening a few more buttons on his shirt. He was working hard to lock his own feelings down. Not think about the fact that Aaron was about to lose his dad, or Gloria losing her son. Not thinking about Octavia's heart breaking, or how Lucifer would react when they finally got home. Just focusing on the next few minutes. One step at a time. "Yeah. We're doing this."
Octavia	Octavia hadn't been able to be there for Audrey and Ben breaking the news of the plan to Gloria, and felt like a traitor for it. She felt like a traitor here, too, standing off to the side with her expression stony and grim. Her eyes kept flicking to Duke's hands.
Duke & Audrey	Duke's hands were holding the top of his shirt open, baring the space between and just below his collarbones to Audrey's hand. Audrey kept her eyes on his as she crushed the black ball between her fingers, spreading it over her palm. After a moment's pause to gather herself, to concentrate, she pressed her hand flat against him. Duke sucked in a breath, eyes wide, a rush of -- something -- rolling through him. Not the same wave of fury and pleasure that he'd learned to associate with activating his trouble, but something not altogether different from that, either. It was like . . . an itching burn in his blood. Like something was waking up. Audrey's face showed she felt something too. She wasn't looking at his face anymore, but staring at something past her hand on his chest. Something that made her mouth quirk in a strange, unsettling smirk. Well. Shit.
Octavia	There hadn't been a moment open for Octavia to step up and take his hand. Maybe it was for the better? So she just watched his hands, and then Audrey's hand (still fighting the urge, somewhere beneath the surface, to wrench Audrey's arm as far away from him as it would go), then his face, and -- He'd felt something, that was for sure. But he also looked like he'd seen something? It couldn't be good.
Duke & Audrey	"Audrey," Duke said, something almost sharp in his tone. She twitched a little, then blinked up at him. "You okay?" "I'm fine," she said, pulling her usual determined mask back into place. "You?" "Something happened," Duke said, rather than even try to answer that question. (No, no he was not okay, he just willingly got retroubled so he could kill one of his best friends' sons, there was nothing okay about this.) "That's for sure." "Well." Audrey took a few steps back, giving him a ghost of a smile. "Good. I guess." Yeah, she knew nothing about this was actually good, either.
Octavia	No one here was okay, and there was nothing good about anything. And Octavia hated how familiar all of it felt. She finally looked away.
Duke & Audrey	Duke was peering intently at Audrey. Who was looking anywhere but back at him. “I’ll go tell Ben to get ready,” she volunteered, and did her best to walk away without looking like she was fleeing. Duke watched her go. “Something happened to both of us,” he muttered.
Octavia	"What?" Octavia asked, less a question about what had happened and more that she hadn't really heard him. Her voice sounded weirdly hoarse.
Duke	Duke set aside his concern for Audrey at the sound of Octavia's voice and hurried over to her. "Hey. Are you okay, gona?"
Octavia	Octavia stared at him like his question made no sense. (Of course it didn't. 'Okay' had no meaning here, and even if it had, what did it matter how she felt when she couldn't change a single goddamn thing?) "What did you see?"
Duke	Duke bit back a sigh and glanced back towards where Audrey had gone. "I think . . . she started turning back into the woman that William's been waiting for. The woman she used to be." He looked down at Octavia, face grim. "If she turns back all the way. . . ." He didn't have a word for how bad he thought that would be for this world. "When I'm done with Ben, we have to get rid of William."
Octavia	There was so much here for Octavia to try and piece together from fragments of information, all delivered at the worst possible time for her to actually be able to retain much of it. So who could really blame her for latching on to the bit that seemed to hurt the most. "We?" See? See how they immediately slid back into Haven's clutches?
Duke	Once upon a time, Duke would have been the first to run away. (Or would have thought of himself that way, anyway.) But part of growing up, of becoming more the person he'd always wanted to be, involved stepping up and taking on responsibilities. Like making sure a madman didn't keep running around his hometown, turning infants into mass murderers. He didn't know how to explain any of that to Octavia, though. So instead . . . he pulled out his knife. "I'll find Nathan for this if I have to," he told her. "But -- if I'm going to kill this guy, I gotta make sure it's going to work." He opened the blade and offered it to her.
Octavia	Ignoring Octavia's outrage entirely didn't do much good either, but then again what would have? At some point she'd probably realize how uselessly unsupportive she was being. But right now all she knew how to do was harden herself up again. She took the knife without saying anything. And continued that way as she used just the very tip of the blade to pierce the skin of the fingertip where it would be the least intrusive.
Duke	So I have to comfort you now? The fact that they both tended to break down over each other's breakdowns had never been terribly helpful for either of them, had it. Duke watched her with the knife, then held out his hand. Bracing himself for the old, familiar rush when her blood touched his skin.
Octavia	No, it hadn't, although he should probably take that slightly misremembered phrase to his therapist. If they ever made it back to the world where his therapist lived, that was. Octavia lowered the hand with the knife. Reached out with the other one, and smeared the small droplet of blood against his palm. She felt awful about doing it, even though it didn't show much on her face.
Duke	Duke was working hard on not feeling anything, right now. Well, other than the rush that made him draw in a long, slow breath. He flicked his eyes -- silver -- up to meet hers. "Just like riding a bike for us Crockers." He waited until the rush passed, and his eyes would be brown again, then offered her one of his empty, wan smiles. "I should find Ben."
Octavia	Funny, empty was a good word for a lot of things right now. Even Octavia's nod. There wouldn't be much holding hands before the tiny wound healed again.
Duke & Gloria	Considering what Duke was about to go do, he probably wouldn't be in a big 'holding hands' kind of mood, anyway. He headed inside. Gloria came outside a few moments later, Aaron tucked into a carrier, her expression pained. "Damn this town," she murmured, not yet seeing Octavia. "Damn it all straight to Hell."
Octavia	Octavia had just barely managed to give herself permission to lower her guard a little, now that there was no one to pretend at. And then Gloria was there, and she froze, unsure if she should say anything. Is she going to hate us forever?
Gloria	Gloria set Aaron gently on the patio table and set about fussing over his blanket for a few moments, before glancing up and spotting Octavia. She startled faintly, and wondered if she should give Octavia space. She'd come out with Aaron to give herself space, after all. But then again, space -- and silence -- had never been things she'd much craved. “Do you believe in an afterlife, Wildcat?”
Octavia	There went any chance Octavia had had of escaping. (Had she really thought about trying to escape? She was never going to say.) "I didn't really get a choice," she said, her voice a little smaller than she wanted it to be.
Gloria	Gloria nodded. "Of course. Yours and Duke's third pretty well proves it, doesn't he." She sighed, fussing with Aaron's blanket again. Doing just about anything to avoid thinking about what was happening inside. "You know, I've had to learn the scientific explanation for just about everything -- evolution, genetics. But even without knowing about your man back home -- I've always believed. I really, really have."
Octavia	Octavia found herself watching Gloria's hands. Guess that was just what she did today, in lieu of -- anything else. (Including thinking about Lucifer.) "Why?" she asked, only barely more than a breath.
Gloria	"Because of what science can't explain." Gloria was warming to her topic, reassuring herself with it. She was about to suffer an unimaginable loss, and she had to know it was happening. Focusing on this, on what Lucifer proved about the rest of the universe, it was the only thing she could cling to. "It's like our brain," she continued. "It's just meat and electricity. But where does the consciousness come from?"
Octavia	"I always thought it just... somehow happened," Octavia admitted, wishing she had more to contribute because she knew what was happening here. (Because she knew what was happening inside the house.) She heard her own voice and it sounded hollow to her. "But then I met... Duke, and then someone else, who both thought people don't really go away. That it's like seasons, and -- and spring comes again."
Gloria	Gloria had to smile at that, watery though it was. She reached her hand for Octavia's chin. "Exactly. Spring will come again. I really think there is so much more for us after we're gone." Which, of course, was when the shot rang out from inside the house.
Octavia	Octavia had heard way too many gun shots over the course of her life. And yet something about this one felt like the worst one so far. She couldn't help the way her head jerked towards it. Whatever moment of surface-level peace they'd managed to cobble together here was gone.
Gloria & Duke	Gloria’s head jerked up too, her expression crumbling. Aaron started to wail, but she paid him no attention. She’d pour herself into him soon. For now, she was too busy thinking about his father. The door to the patio opened, and Duke came out, a baby blanket patterned with airplanes in his hand. He didn’t look at anyone even as he made a beeline for Gloria. “Ben wanted me to bring you this,” he said, voice low and spare. “Aaron can cry now.” He looked at Gloria finally. She stared up at him, tears already on her cheeks. “I don’t . . . expect you to ever forgive me.” Gloria was shaking. But she reached up, cupping Duke’s jaw, then pulled him into a hug.
Octavia	She'll never forgive us she'll never forgive us she'll never forgive -- Gloria was nothing like Aurora Blake, and nothing like Indra kom Trikru, and yet. The entire, excruciating, endless moment of Duke walking out felt like something very specific was about to fall apart all over again. On top of everything else that was already going wrong. And then, Gloria pulled Duke in, and suddenly she could gasp in a quiet breath again.
Duke & Gloria	Duke never knew how to handle most people hugging him at the best of times. This wasn't at all that. It took him several moments to fully process what was happening. His hand came up hesitantly on instinct, gently resting on Gloria's back, even as her arms wrapped firmly around his shoulders, pulling him down low enough for her to press her head next to his. He could feel her grief. He waited for the anger -- yelling, or pushing him away, or maybe trying to throttle him now she had her arms around him -- and braced himself to take it. Whatever she needed, he'd give it to her. But all she did was hang on and softly sob into his ear.
Octavia	The baby was still crying, too. Helpless and harmless, completely unaware of what sacrifices had been made so he could live without hurting people. Octavia turned to him, fussing in soft Trig, as if she could help. Ogud, strikon, ogud.
Gloria & Duke	Gloria clung for a moment longer, then slowly released Duke, cupping his jaw one more time before letting go of him completely. "Right, well. That little boy isn't going to grandma himself, is he." She turned a shaky smile towards Octavia. "I know you two don't want to be anywhere near here. But -- make sure they end this, would you? I don't think this world can handle any more troubles. Now or in another 27 years." Duke ducked his head, not looking at either of them. He let his eyes drag across Aaron, so small and so angry. Like he knew what he'd just lost. Like he knew who'd done it. He spun on his heel and headed -- away. As fast as his long legs could take him there.
Octavia	Octavia didn't know what to say. Everything seemed unbearable - including feeling any sort of responsibility over putting an end to Haven's bullshit, when she already felt so much guilt that she hadn't been able to keep all this from happening to Duke. (That she hadn't been able to keep him safe for Lucifer.) And then Duke just left, and all she could do was throw an... apologetic, wholly inadequate look Gloria's way, and another down at Aaron, before hurrying after him.
Duke	Duke wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of Haven again. The weight of his re-activated trouble felt like lead in his chest, and he didn't think it'd go away until he was back on the Rouge, sandwiched between Lucifer and Octavia, far, far from the idiots that made up the majority of this town. But Audrey was wobbling on the precipice of going bad. And Jennifer had an idea on how to put an end to all this. And if he left before seeing that through -- well, maybe that weight would never go away at all. Octavia would hate it. He hated it. But they couldn't leave yet. So instead, Duke found a spot, well away from where Audrey and Nathan were planning, or where Gloria and her grandson were grieving. Somewhere he could look out at the familiar water and try to process what the fuck he'd just done.
Octavia	Was there any processing any of this? Octavia was packing away all her own feelings again, to the best of her ability, because there just wasn't space. ... Which she wondered whether she should've been giving Duke right now. Seemed he'd been pretty clear about that when he'd just taken off. But, here she was. Circling to him, like he was an animal she was trying not to spook. "Duke?"
Duke	Duke’s lips curled faintly at one edge. He kept looking at the water. “Hey.”
Octavia	Octavia stopped, for now, at a little distance. It wouldn't last. (Hopefully.) She was just -- finally looking at him, for the first time since he'd come out of the house. She couldn't see any blood spatter. (Nothing was to be expected on his skin, but his clothes were a different story.) It wasn't an observation she wanted to be making even to herself, but there it was. "I'm not gonna ask you if you're okay."
Duke	There hadn’t been much blood, at least on the blowback. Neither Duke nor Ben had wanted to leave Gloria with a lot of cleanup. “‘Preciate it.” He looked over at her without turning from the water. “Should I ask you?”
Octavia	"What's the point?" Octavia replied. Maybe she hadn't meant to be that honest (vague as it was), but there it was. She looked tired. Her voice sounded it, too, although it was on the soft side.
Duke	Duke let out a soft huff through his nose. "Yeah." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and looked down. "I'm sorry about all this."
Octavia	"I know." Octavia hazarded taking a step closer. And then another.
Duke	Duke angled a little towards her, more instinct than conscious thought. “This fucking place. The answers are never good, are they.”
Octavia	"No," Octavia agreed. And just... slid into his space. Letting it be more instinct than conscious decision, too.
Duke	She was one of two people in the entire multiverse who didn’t surprise him when she ended up there. In his space. He shifted again, leaning into her. “I think — I want to think it’ll get better from here. That Jennifer’s plan will work. And Gloria and that baby will get a happily — or at least normally — ever after.” But that wasn’t how Haven worked. It always got worse.
Octavia	Octavia slid her arms around him. It had more feeling now than it had the last time, the way she tried to wrap him up. She didn't know what to say, though. Haven always got worse. Best she could do was a little hum.
Duke	The weight in his chest wasn’t easing. If anything, it was getting heavier. “Do you think . . . did I make a mistake?” He didn’t know what they could have done differently that wouldn’t have resulted in more misery, more death. But he was terrified, and she was the only one around he was willing to let see it.
Octavia	How was Octavia supposed to answer? She didn't want to hurt him. Didn't want to lie and say what he'd done was fine in any way, either. She held on tighter. "It doesn't matter, it's done."
Duke	She did think it was a mistake. How did he end up with two partners who didn’t know how to tell a kindly lie? Duke let out a soft sigh, only to get cut off by a spasm in his chest. He pulled away from her enough to cough into his hand. . . . Right, that little red splatter was . . . not a great sign. He closed his hand quickly, instinctively. Hiding it from himself as much from Octavia.
Octavia	He was getting Octavia's concerned look anyway. "Duke?"
Duke	Duke opened his hand again. The blood was gone. Had he imagined it? Or had it reabsorbed? He hadn't gotten a rush from it, but it was his own blood. That . . . made a kind of sense, didn't it? "Stress might be starting to get to me," he said. That had to be it. The heavy feeling in his chest just kept getting worse.
Octavia	"I don't think 'stress' covers any of this," Octavia replied, her level of concern not at all lessened.
Duke	That made sense, his wasn't, either. But saying "I think I just coughed up blood" wouldn't do any of them any good when they couldn't do anything about it right now, would it? "Yeah," Duke said heavily. (Everything felt heavy and stiff and slow. Like a fever was coming on.) "Well. . . . Let's see if the others have finished planning so we can get rid of William and get the fuck out of here. Then -- I think we should all sleep for a week. At sea. Where no one can bother us."
Octavia	"If it lets us leave," Octavia muttered, mostly under her breath, already pulling away from him. As much as she didn't want to.
Duke	Duke didn't want her to, either. And he definitely didn't want to think about Haven not letting them leave. He smothered another cough, shoved his hands in his pockets, and with a nod, started towards where he'd last seen Audrey. "Time to make the donuts," he muttered.