Among the Strong
Dec. 18th, 2025 06:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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marysuevirusTitle: Among the Strong
Chapter Fifty Nine: Learning Trust
Fandom: the Marvel universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic violence, language, sex, dark themes, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of Marvel. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. Haley belongs todazzledfirestar Morgan belongs toginevra Roxxy belongs tonanaeanaven Jehnna belongs to silverfox_chan and Dare belongs to me. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from dazzledfirestar .
Author's Notes: this is almost entirely Daz's fault. okay. so it really isn't. its actually almost 100% my fault. Daz just did a whole lot of encouraging. this fic is going to be kind of dark, so please keep that in mind while reading.
Among the Strong - the index
“Holy shit!” Haley’s voice came from behind her, shock and surprise heavy in those two words. Dare didn’t have to turn and see her face to know Haley was staring up at the painting over the fireplace mantel. Hadn’t Dare had much the same reaction a week ago when Vicki had shown her this room? “Dare. That’s…” Haley’s voice failed her a moment, then Dare heard her friend’s sharp intake of breath. “That’s you. And Remy. But… how? What the fuck?”
Dare turned to face Haley. Her friend’s gaze slid from the painting to Dare’s face and back again. Not that Dare blamed her. The likeness was fucking freaky. Dare glanced at the book in her hand, then lifted her gaze back up to Haley. “Haley. Meet Alasdare “Dare” Scott. My distant relative. And one of the most notorious pirates to ever sail the Atlantic. And that is her husband, Robert Lord.”
Haley stared with wide eyes, her gaze flicking between Dare and the painting looming up behind her. “There’s a past version of you? And she was a pirate? And she married a past version of Remy?”
Dare drew a breath, held it a moment, and blew it out. Her emotions were as much in turmoil now as they had been when Vicki had first brought her to this room. She raised the book she held in her hand, held it up so that Haley could see the leather cover. There was nothing on the front, but there were dates embossed on the spine in gold. “Not a past version of Remy. Remy.”
That statement pulled Haley’s gaze to Dare’s face. “What?”
“When Fitzroy attacked that night. And we lost Remy to one of his time portals. That’s where he ended up,” Dare said, her empty hand motioning toward the painting.
“That’s…” Haley began, but faltered as he brain kicked into gear. Dare saw it in the way her expression changed and her eyes seemed to lose their intensity. Dare let her go over the implications of everything, memories of that night flashing through her mind. She’d felt helpless when she’d seen the portal open. And worse still when Fitzroy had shoved Remy into the gaping hole behind him. She’d wanted to follow them, wanted to roast Fitzroy to a crisp. But she’d been weak and unsteady after everything had happened.
Finally, Haley looked at Dare and she could see that the other woman wanted to know what was going on. Dare motioned to the corner of the room where the settee and chairs waited silently to offer comfort. Haley nodded, the action only just betraying the slight daze Haley was in. Then she moved toward the collection of furniture and chose a chair in which to settle. Dare followed her and took the settee, setting the leather-bound book on the cushion beside her. A moment later, there was a brisk knock at the door. Then it opened to allowed Jameson into the room. He carried the tray he’d delivered to the sitting room, the one that held the beverages and snacks he’d prepared for them.
“I thought you might need this, Miss Alasdare,” he intoned as he settled the tray on the low table positioned between the settee and chairs.
“Thank you, Jameson. I’m sure we will. You’re an absolute doll. If I didn’t have enough man troubles,” she said, letting the last bit remain unspoken. It didn’t matter. The implication was enough to see a faint blush stain the man’s cheeks. Dare hid her smile of triumph. It was so rare to see Jameson unsettled.
“Why someone as young and beautiful as you would take an interest in an old man like me,” he replied, effectively killing her feeling of triumph. And it was Dare’s turn to blush. “Thank you for the compliment, Miss Alasdare, but you are above my station.”
“He needs to meet Logan,” Haley interjected.
“I’d rather he didn’t,” Dare commented, her words coming out sounding only slightly cranky. Haley laughed outright while Jameson didn’t bother stifling his smile. He headed for the door, stopping only when he had the knob in hand and the ornate panel open.
“If there is nothing else?” he questioned. Dare shook her head. He sent her a look she didn’t bother to read, then turned a smile on Haley. “Very good. If you ladies require anything else, please don’t hesitate to let me know.” A moment later, he was gone and the door was once more shut to afford them some privacy.
Dare reached for her Coke and had a sip, allowing Haley a moment to both pour herself some coffee and have a sip of it. When she set the cup down on the tray and leveled her gaze on Dare, Dare knew it was time to tell her a really wild, really unbelievable story. Heaving a sigh, she picked up the book and settled it on her lap. Haley’s eyes followed her movements, curiosity bright in her gaze. “So. I’m going to tell you a crazy story. But I assure you everything I will tell you is true.” One finger tapped the leather cover of the book resting on her thighs. “This is my ancestor’s journal. Well, a copy. The originals are so fragile that they’ve been sealed away to prevent them from deteriorating.”
“Like the Declaration of Independence,” Haley supplied. Dare nodded.
“My ancestor,” Dare began, one hand motioning toward the painting on the wall behind Haley. She let her gaze study the other woman’s face yet another time, surprised all over again by the fact that they could be twins. Dare cleared her throat and started speaking again. “Alasdare was born to a titled family in the Highlands of Scotland sometime in the early fifteen seventies. At the age of fourteen, she was betrothed to an unnamed English Lord. When she found out about it, she literally ran away from home,.”
Haley quirked a smile at that. “Sounds a lot like you.”
Dare made a face, but said nothing in response. Haley allowed a knowing grin to settle on her face for a moment. Then she sobered up and motioned to the book in Dare’s lap. Dare took that as a sign to continue. She let her own gaze drop to the book, bound in rich black leather. Someone had edged the pages in the same gold that lettered the spine. “Alasdare took to the sea, disguising herself as a boy to gain position on a ship. A pirate ship.”
“She joined a pirate crew at the age of fourteen?” Haley asked, her eyebrows arching skyward in a show of surprise. Dare expected another comment about that sounding like her. But none was forthcoming. So Dare took a breath, took another drink, and plunged headfirst into a story she was still having a hard time believing.
“She did. And it was apparently a ship with a very bad reputation. They were eventually caught by the Royal Navy. Members of the crew who weren’t taken captive perished with the ship. Alasdare found herself in the dungeons, awaiting trial. She was still young, not even twenty yet. But she was going to be put to death for piracy. And for being witchbreed.”
Haley frowned. “Witchbreed?” she asked, her confusion obvious.
“She was a mutant. She controlled fire.”
“A true pyrokinetic?” Haley’s voice was filled with awe. What were the fucking odds that two women from the same family would not only look like twins but they would carry the same powers? Dare was sure it had to be astronomical.
“By all accounts, yes. A true pyrokinetic. And, like now, those considered witchbreed were persecuted. Hunted down and killed because people didn’t understand. Because people were afraid. Because humans make a habit of murdering that which is different,” Dare said. She was sure Haley caught the bitterness in her voice.
“So how did she escape death?” Haley’s question was an obvious attempt to prod Dare into continuing her story.
“She got a visit from a priest who offered her a chance to live. She just had to promise to do what he asked of her,” Dare told her friend. Again, her gaze slid to the painting while she mused over the fact that the four hundred years between them could only be four hours or days or weeks. Their lives were far more alike than not. “She knew it was a bad idea to agree, but she wanted to live. And the decision was made for her when a nobleman, who had apparently been in her cell the whole time she’d spoken with this priest, urged her not to give up. So, when the dawn came and she found herself facing down the executioner’s axe, she sold herself into a kind of slavery that she regretted for the rest of her life.”
“What did she have to do?”
“She helped this priest hunt other witchbreed,” Dare said softly. She saw Haley’s eyebrows rise in surprise. “She had a handler who trained her how to be a spy. How to seduce men and how to kill without being caught. Her handler introduced her into society as his cousin from the north. Gave her a new identity to work with. Dressed her in the finest gowns and secretly cringed every time she opened her mouth because he could not get the Scots out of it. And, yes. She actually wrote that down.” She smiled with Haley over that. They both chuckled a bit, because it was absolutely something Dare would say or write. It was kind of mind boggling to her just how much she was like a long deceased ancestor who likely had no idea that her legacy would live on as it had.
“I feel like I would very much like this ancestor of yours,” Haley said.
“I think I would, too,” Dare agreed. She glanced at the book in her lap, at the closed cover, and ran a hand across it. The leather was soft and supple and she could smell it even resting in her lap as it was. With a sigh, she opened the book and turned pages carefully, letting her gaze flick over the handwritten entries contained within the book.
It was a more modern copy of one of Alasdare’s journals, written a hundred or more years after the originals had been penned. The English in it was such that Dare could read it fairly easily. She’d seen one of the originals. The writing had been small but neat, the dark ink vibrant against paper that had yellowed with age. And entirely in Gaelic. Dare had admired the writing for its tidiness. It was nothing like her own writing, which tended to fall closer to messy more often than not. And she had admired the use of Gaelic because the letters, so familiar in shape and form, had flowed beautifully across the page. Also because using Gaelic had made it harder for non-speakers to read the fantastical things about which she’d written.
“Her first true test was to murder a nobleman. Said nobleman was very much in the eye of society. Tall. Handsome. Rakishly handsome, in Alasdare’s words. He was titled in both England and France. Wanted by women for his good looks and his rumored sexual prowess. Wanted by men for bedding their women.” Dare let her gaze shift to the painting again. This time, her focus was the man standing beside her ancestor. “This noble was named Robert Lord.”
Haley stared at Dare a moment before turning to look at the painting behind her. “You said that was Remy,” Haley commented, obviously trying to puzzle out the things Dare hadn’t told her yet.
“It is. But he posed as Robert Lord. Because the man known as Robert Lord was Remy’s twin. Save his eyes, which were blue like the sky on the clearest day,” Dare told her.
“Your ancestor seems to have had a poetic heart,” Haley observed.
“She was very much in love with Robert Lord. She made the mistake of falling in love with him while she was attempting to seduce him. When it came time to fulfill her orders, it was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. And a part of her died that night when Robert Lord breathed his last,” Dare explained. She’d cried ugly tears when she’d read Alasdare’s recollection of Robert Lord’s death and her part in it. Even now, thinking on it made her heart ache. Because she understood. “Mission completed, Alasdare slipped away from her handler and returned to the sea. This time, she paired up with another witchbreed. And then three more. And the five of them set sail on a ship named The Valkyrie.”
Dare motioned to the ceiling and watched Haley as she discovered the scene that had been painted there. It didn’t take the other woman long to turn back toward her.”Five mutants on one ship, pirating together? Why does this sound vaguely familiar?” Haley asked.
Dare couldn’t help her smile. She gazed up at the painting that covered the room’s ceiling. She’d had plenty of time to do so over the past week. She knew the image so well, she could damn near see it in her sleep. Once or twice, she’d woken from dreams that had felt so terribly real. Dreams filled with shouting, with blood staining wooden decks. Dreams filled with cannons booming and belching smoke and fire. The scent of salt and sea had been in her nose those mornings, almost as if she’d been in the battles she’d seen play out in her mind. “The smallest ship, the black one, is The Valkyrie. It was captained by five witchbreed women. Morgan LaFarve, Rosemary Stuart, Jehnna D’abo, Alasdare Scott, and Haley Stone. No ship on the open seas stood against them and remained afloat. They were vicious and hard. They were feared by one and all. And all of them had prices on their heads.”
Haley was silent, but Dare knew she was as surprised as Dare had been when she’d read the story. When she’d found out that her ancestor had been friends with past versions of Dare’s friends. “The red and gold ship is The Avenger. Captained by Lord Anthony Stark, who was Alasdare’s handler. The last ship, the dragon ship, belonged to a man named only as Thor in the journal. This mural depicts the last battle Alasdare and friends and crew were part of.”
“You’re telling me that there are past versions of all of us? And other people we know?” Haley asked, turning to give Dare a look that was equal parts curious and confused and disbelieving. Dare nodded.
“Yes.” She paused and glanced back at the painting. “Remy was involved in that battle. Alasdare nearly lost her life. She nearly lost the children she carried in that battle.”
The last of her words came out so softly they were almost a whisper. The room was silent, though, so Haley heard her. She felt her friend’s gaze land on her face. She swore she could hear what Haley was thinking. “The priest who had offered her a way out was on one of the other ships. He wanted her to bring him the crew of The Valkyrie and when Alasdare refused, the priest launched an attack on the ship and her crew. Thor and Lord Stark came to their aid.”
“What happened?” Haley’s voice held more curiosity than confusion at this point. There was still a hint of disbelief, though. Dare gave her attention to Haley and offered her a smile. She knew it wasn’t a great smile and that it didn’t reach her eyes.
“The girls were wanted. The decision was made to sail to France and hole up at Lord’s estate. Remy was posing as Lord at this point and it was determined that his status as a French noble could be put to use to protect the girls from the priest and his vendetta. They sailed there. Alasdare convalesced. Paperwork surfaced proving that Lord Robert Lord and Lady Isabell MacKenzie had been married in a church in France. Eventually, Alasdare’s children were born. She was happy. She knew, though, that Remy was saddened about something. She suspected it had to do with where he’d come to her from. She knew that he wasn’t from her time, but not when. And then word came that Lord Stark was being held by the English court for piracy and treason against the crown.”
Haley frowned at that. “Alasdare went to save him, didn’t she?”
“No. She wanted to. But her children were still wee babies. Remy offered to go for her. And he had help.” Dare glanced at the book in her lap. The whole thing was about the events that had happened to her ancestor after Remy had mysteriously shown up in the bed of a tavern prostitute in a coastal village that made its money off pirates and privateers. And everything she’d read had been plaguing her non-stop since she’d done so.
“The girls?” Haley guessed. She was hooked on the story at this point, her attention given solely to Dare. Dare opened the book to some of the last pages and looked at what was written there.
“No. The girls had all long since moved on with their lives. Haley got married and returned to England. Rosemary left the British Isles and returned to the new world. Jehnna and her boy toy went with. Morgan returned to the seas, sailing her beloved ship under a new name.”
“Then who helped Remy rescue Stark?”
“Scott,” Dare whispered. She watched as the color fled Haley’s cheeks and sadness rushed to fill in the empty spaces in her gaze. Closing the book, Dare set it back on the cushion beside her and gave Haley her full attention.
“When he and the others went to find Remy?” Haley guessed. Dare nodded. She waited to see if Haley would say anything else. But she kept her thoughts and comments to herself. Instead, she made a rolling motion with one hand to let know Dare should continue her story.
“Alasdare made her goodbyes because she knew Remy wouldn’t be back. Once Stark was freed, he sailed to France to see her. Together, they formed a plan to put Robert Lord to rest once and for all. Under cover of dark, they sailed Lord’s personal vessel out into open waters and sank her. Then they leaked word of the ship going down and of Robert Lord being on it. Alasdare played the grieving widow for the appropriate length of time, then agreed to marry Lord Stark. He apparently adored her. He built this house for her. And the village, too. He damn near indulged her every whim. They had children together. They grew old together. She never set sail again. She poured all of her time and energy into protecting people like her. Other witchbreed. The village was founded as a safe haven for any and all witchbreed who sought it out.”
Haley was silent for a long moment. Dare simply watched her, waiting to see if she said something. Waiting for some kind of reaction. She knew that the mention of Scott had thrown her friend. And she was sure it also had Haley’s mind turning. Dare almost felt sorry for Scott if Haley ever spoke to him again. She had no doubt he’d get an earful. Then again, she wasn’t sure how she felt about all of the things she’d learned about Remy. So she could kind of understand what Haley might be thinking with regard to all of this shit. Not that Dare would press. It wasn’t any of her business.
“Did you know about this place before you left?” The question kind of came out of left field. A glance at her friend told Dare nothing about what prompted the question. Still, Dare shook her head.
“I’d never heard of it until Vicki brought me here and showed me all of this.” Dare motioned to the room vaguely with one hand, a gesture meant to encompass the room and the house in which is existed. And the village down the road.
Haley nodded, absorbing that for a moment. Then she frowned at Dare. “So how did you end up here?”
Dare heaved a sigh. She supposed she owed Haley more than a simple apology. “I hadn’t planned on coming here at all. When I first left the school, the only thing I had on my mind for certain was London. Mum still has family in the area and I figured I could hang out there for a few days before I figured out what my next move was. Then the plane landed at Heathrow and I ducked into a bookshop for a moment. To catch my breath and figure out how I was going to approach my family. There was a poster on the wall. A glossy thing with this amazing image of Eilean Donan. There was a bunch of green and sunlight glittering on the water of the loch surrounding it and… I don’t know. Some voice told me to go to Scotland. I found a cottage for let and decided I was going to stay there. And then the owner showed up.”
“This Vicki person?” Haley asked.
Dare nodded, still recalling the almost dream-like quality of that whole meeting. Hell, a week later and she still found herself not quite believing what had happened. “Yes. She laid eyes on me and Petra and said she couldn’t leave us alone in her cottage and then she said she was my cousin and she couldn’t just let kin hide out in a cottage with no one. So she brought me here and… “ Dare’s words faded. So she motioned toward the painting. As if that explained it all. Maybe it did, because she’d seen the same disbelief in Haley’s face that had to have been on her own.
“You’re telling me your cousin lives here in this giant ass manor house?” Haley asked. Dare thought she maybe heard a touch of something in Haley’s voice. As if she thought Dare was being naive about it all. “And she just happened to recognize you as her cousin? And she brought you here to hide out? And you didn’t think that was weird?”
“Of course I thought it was weird. I thought it was weird as hell! But for once, Haley, I let myself trust someone I didn’t know. I let myself rely on the kindness of strangers. Do you know how hard that is for me?” Dare glanced at the window, not at all surprised to find that it was raining. She thought back to those first days after she’d ditched the school and New York and hopped a plane to Europe. How that flight attendant had made her flight so much less stressful by being so nice to her. She thought about Robbie, who had been so genuinely sweet with her. How he’d acted the part of a concerned grandparent with a woman he’d never met before. And she thought about Vicki, how she’d welcomed Dare into her home without question. Despite the fact that Dare had warned her things could very possibly go south for them all. Vicki had simply smiled and nodded and made her feel like she belonged. “Do you know how… intoxicating it was for me? To feel like someone I didn’t know, who had no reason at all to be kind, actually cared about me and what happened to me? Like, I know you care. I know there are people back in the US that care about me. But that’s a relationship that has been built on many long years of being around one another. The idea that absolute strangers cared about me? It blew my mind.”
“I’m sure it was a hell of a feeling, Dare,” Haley said. “But that’s supposed to be the norm. Not something unique.”
“And you got to live a life where that was the norm for you, Haley,” Dare told her. “I didn’t get that. My life was never that kind of normal. I was always moving. Always the odd kid out. I didn’t fit with anyone until Morgan. And then we moved and she was taken away from me and I was angry. I was always angry. And I can see now, as an adult, how hard having a child like me was for my parents. Up until my mutation kicked in, I’d been quiet and sweet. A good kid. Then, almost literally over night, I was angry and capable of burning the goddamn house down. My parents were suddenly distant. And I didn’t understand that it was because they wanted to help me and didn’t know how. That they were scared. Of both the things I could do and what could happen to me if someone, the wrong someone, found out what I could do. I thought that was indifference. Or even hatred. Do you know how scarring that was for me? How difficult it was to live in a home where I knew I was wrong somehow and my parents, to my thinking, hated me for it?”
She was crying again, damn it. She’d cried more in the past few weeks than she could remember doing since Creed had grabbed her all those years ago and left her absolutely confused about everything. Dare reached for her Coke and had a drink, wished it was something stronger. But she’d given it up years ago. But the urge to get fall down drunk was always there, just like the lure of the flames that lingered at the back of her brain. The one that she feared she’d lose herself to if she gave in to it.
Haley stared at her. She hadn’t really ever spoken about her childhood with her friends. She knew Morgan knew some of it. But she’d still never talked about it with her. She figured Faye had told Morgan everything she’d needed to know. And that Morgan didn’t want to ask questions for fear of upsetting Dare. So it was no surprise that Haley didn’t have a response at the ready. There was a touch of surprise in her eyes at the admission. And at the fact that Dare had trusted her enough to tell her that. Because Dare had never trusted anyone to tell them anything. Too much time living on the streets as a teenager with the wrong kind of parental figures to guide her, she guessed.
Or maybe it was simply because she was broken so completely and so terribly that there was no way to ever fix her.
“I’m sorry, Dare. I didn’t know. I… “ Haley stopped, seemingly at a loss for words.
“No one knew, Haley. Because I was too chicken shit to let myself trust the people I claimed to love. I owed you so much more than the basics. I owed you my trust.”
“You trusted me, Dare,” Haley insisted.
That earned her a snort and Dare shook her head. “I trusted you with the bare minimum, Haley. You placed all of your trust in me when you asked me to be part of your team, knowing I was a loose cannon. Knowing that my powers could run wild and destroy everything you worked for. You trusted me with your life. And your friendship. And I repaid you with a whole lot of nothing. I hoarded my secrets like a dragon lying atop its pile of gold. And they’ve nearly destroyed everything more than once. There is nothing I can ever do to apologize for that. I will be apologizing to you in every way I can think of until the day I die.”
Haley was in tears, but the last statement earned Dare a smile and a huff of laughter. “You already did that,” she reminded Dare. Dare barked a sharp laugh, then glanced away. Her eyes came to rest, once more, on the painting on the wall across from her. And she wondered, yet once more, if her secrecy had played part in the spectacularly terrible way her relationship with Remy had ended. “And you don’t owe me any apologies, Dare. You’ve saved my life, and the lives of our friends, more than I can count. You did so without thought of what might happen to you. You are fiercely loyal. To a fault, honestly. You love without reservation. And you always, always come back from the worst that life has thrown at you. You are no where near chicken shit. You are one of the bravest people I know.”
“And a wee bit daft.” The addition came from the doorway, bringing both Dare and Haley’s heads around so that they stared at the woman standing there.
“Aye,” Dare agreed with a grin. “And a wee bit daft.” Her response prompted laughter from their visitor and confusion from Haley. Dare’s grin softened to a smile and she motioned with one hand toward the new arrival. “Haley. This is my cousin, Victoria Fergus. She’ll beat you if you call her anything other than Vicki, though. Only Jameson is allowed to get away with calling her Victoria. Vicki, this is Haley Storm. Formerly Haley Stone. The leader of Purple Team and my good friend.”
Haley rose as Vicki approached, a touch of apprehension on her face. No doubt because Vicki was looking at her like she’d seen a ghost. There’d been a lot of that happening in the village lately. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Haley. I can call you Haley, aye?” Vicki had one hand stretched out in offer to Haley.
Dare had to hide her smirk when Haley glanced back at her in confusion. Then she faced Vicki and slowly put her hand in the other woman’s. The shake was a good one, not too long nor too tight or loose. Vicki let Haley’s hand go just before it might have gotten uncomfortable. Then she turned a gaze Dare’s way. “The spitting image, I tell you.”
“I kind of figured,” Dare nodded.
“The spitting image of what?” Haley asked, obviously confused.
Vicki smiled, then inclined her head toward the door. “Perhaps I should show you. If you’d follow me, please?”
Haley sent another confused look Dare’s way, obviously uncertain about this. Dare only smiled and nodded, then got up from the settee and headed for the door. Haley was close on her heels. Probably a combination of curiosity and the unwillingness to let Dare from her sight. Dare supposed she couldn’t blame her. She had up and disappeared on Haley. More than once.
When they joined Vicki at the door, she led them out into the hallway. Dare had an idea as to what was going on, but she couldn’t be certain. She hadn’t explored much of the house because, quite frankly, it wasn’t her place and she felt it would be rude after Vicki had gone out of her way to offer Dare such a grand room and the ability to stay in the house in the first place. It was much more comfortable than the cottage would have been. She wasn’t going to repay that kindness with rude behavior.
It was a short trip up the hall. They stopped four doors away from the one leading into her ancestor’s room. Vicki turned to look at them both, a knowing smile on her face. “This is the room set aside for visits from Alasdare’s closest friend,” she told them before opening the door. The first thing Dare noticed was the soft shade of blue on the walls. Vicki motioned them inside. “Lady Barton often paid visits to Alasdare.”
“Lady who?” Haley asked, voice choked.
They had stepped just inside the door, so Vicki swept an arm toward one of the walls. Hanging upon it was a large painting set in a gilt frame. In the painting, a woman sat upon what appeared to be a plush couch. She was glad in a pale blue gown of silk that complemented the paleness of her skin. Her red hair had been left long that, again, seemed to Dare to be against the style of the time. Green eyes stared steadily out of the painting, filled with intelligence, pleasure, and the faintest touch of sorrow. The room around her had been done in warm shades of gold and bronze and softly blurred so that anyone looking at the painting was drawn straight to couple who had posed for it.
And it was a couple. Because standing behind the plush couch was a young man, his skin kissed by the sun and his hair golden and overlong upon his head. Blue eyes sparkled with mischief and a faint smirk pulled up one corner of his mouth. “Damn,” Dare commented. “Barton looks the same now as he did then.”
She heard Haley choke and couldn’t quite stifle her laughter.
~*~
“”Vicki!” Catriona called out the moment the door opened and allowed Vicki through it. “And Dare, my lass!’
Dare was used to the greeting. She and Vicki had made a point of going into the village every night so she could spend time with her newly adopted family. She suspected Vicki had suggested the idea to keep her from crawling back into herself, something which Dare had been tempted to do after that first trip to the pub. The night had been very overwhelming.
“How is the wee babby?” Morag asked, already on her way around the bar. There was a smile on her face, which was kind of frightening because her smiles always looked like the last thing you’d see before a crazed serial killer chopped you up into little pieces. It was one of the many things Dare loved about her. The woman’s gaze landed on Haley, who was between Vicki and Dare. Haley had gone still upon entry and the way she stared around her suggested to Dare that she had slipped into vigilance. “And who is this with ye?”
“Morag, meet my friend Haley. Haley, this is Morag. She’s one of the Grans,” Dare explained, though she knew that wouldn’t mean anything to Haley. At least, not yet. She had a suspicion that it would mean a great deal before the night was over. “The baby she’s carrying is Emilia. And the little charmer standing beside her is TJ.”
Morag took a moment to study Haley and her daughters. After several moments spent staring at Emilia, she looked back at Dare. “Sinister again?”
“Yes,” Dare nodded.
“Dare? What’s going on? How does she know about Sinister?” Dare heard the note in Haley’s voice that said she was only moments away from armoring up. Dare handed Petra’s car seat over to Morag so she could turn all of her attention to her friend. She didn’t miss the gentle smile that came to Morag’s face, nor did she miss the way the woman started whispering to the baby. Dare was sure it was nothing good.
“I know you’re freaking out, Haley. But I promise. You’re with friends. You trust me, right?” she asked, her voice quiet. Dare knew that the events in the hallway with Jean had done something to how Haley regarded strangers around her children. Not that she blamed her. Jean was lucky Dare hadn’t given in to the urge to kill her. She regretted not singeing some of the woman’s hair off in warning. Not that she couldn’t do it at a later time. She still felt like Jean had gotten off easy after all she’d done. But that hyper-vigilance wasn’t needed here. She needed Haley to understand that. These women, this village, would do everything in their power to keep Sinister from ever laying a hand on Dare or Haley or their babies. And Dare wanted Haley to know that.
Haley’s gaze slowly slid toward Dare’s face. It was filled with confusion and fear and the desire to run. “How do you know?” she asked quietly.
“You know those trust issues we were talking about earlier?” Dare replied. Haley nodded. Dare knew for a fact that Haley was well acquainted with all of her many and varied trust issues. “I trust these people. All of them. You can trust them, too. “
Haley stared at her, eyes wide at the implications in Dare’s words.
“I know. Who would have thought that I’d grow up enough to start trusting people? But this is what I meant about kindness earlier. These ladies adopted me as one of their own after knowing me for a half an hour. I have six Grans who would fight for me. And I would do the same for them. They’re good people, Haley. I know I am not the best judge of character. But I swear they are good people. Every last one of them. Even Mrs. Teague, who keeps trying to push her sons on me.”
“Aye, lassie. Ye need a braw man to take care o’ ye and that wee bairn o’ yers.” Mrs. Teague called from one of the tables.
“And I’ve told you, ma’am, that I have more men than I know what to do with,” Dare replied. Her comment earned a round of gentle laughter and, slowly, the room returned to normal. Conversations picked back up and attention shifted away from the new arrivals.
Catriona’s gaze slid from Haley to Dare then to Vicki. She tipped her head toward the back of the pub, a faint smile touching her lips. “Shall we retire to our table?” she asked.
“Aye. I feel we’ve things tae discuss,” Morag said before turning and heading off toward the far corner, where no doubt the rest of the Grannies waited. Dare watched Haley watch the other woman go with Petra’s car seat held in her hand. She turned a look toward Dare that asked questions to which she wouldn’t give voice. Dare just nodded and started after Granny Morag.
“The usual, Sean,” she said as she passed the bar. She knew Haley was behind her, the way Sean’s eyes moved telling her he was following her progress. She smiled at that, because she knew it was equal parts awe and infatuation. He’d been the same way when she’d first started frequenting the pub. He was younger than he looked and he seemed to fall in love daily. “And the same for Haley, please.”
“You’ve got it, Dare,” he replied and turned to his task.
When they arrived at the usual table, someone had pulled a second, smaller table over and pushed it up against the end of their regular table. The chairs had been brought with, too, and sat empty for the newly arrived party. Vicki took the empty seat at the regular table, so Dare motioned to the second table and waited until Haley settled into one of the wooden chairs. Catriona, as if sensing the hesitation and worry on the woman, took the seat next to Haley. That left Dare to sit beside Abigail, who was on the last seat of the main table. Morag settled Petra’s seat on a high chair at the end of the table, then took the seat next to Dare and let her gaze slide over the assembled group. “Ye get tae make introductions, lassie,” she said to Dare.
“Okay,” Dare nodded. Before she could start, Sean arrived with a tray laden with drinks, Ales for the Grannies and Vicki. Water for Dare and Haley. And a cup of milk for TJ, who had thus far stared wide eyed at everything and said next to nothing. A chair was produced for the girl, one tall enough that she could see over the top of the table with ease. A second high chair appeared and, after a bit of apprehension, Haley settled Emilia’s car seat onto it. Her hands reached up to play idly with the mug of water.
“Ladies,” Dare began, letting her gaze slide from one Granny to the next before bringing it to rest on Haley. “This is my friend, Haley Storm. Haley, I would like for you to meet the Grannies.”
Haley shot her a look that suggested she thought it was an odd introduction. Dare smiled and motioned to the woman beside her. “This is Morag Campbell. She will happily tell you she’s the village witch and she’ll also happily offer to hex anyone who hurts you or your feelings.”
Haley offered a faint smile to Morag, obviously not quite certain of the introduction. Morag smiled back, something a little less feral than the smile she’d given earlier. “Pleasure, lass,” Morag replied.
“Catriona Peadarsan,” Dare said, this time motioning to the woman beside Haley. “She owns the pub and keeps the lot behind us in line.” A good-natured noise of denial rose behind them, every person inside the pub taking issue with the announcement while agreeing with it in a single sound. “Sean is her nephew and he falls in love with someone at least once an hour. Right now, he’s got stars in his eyes over you.”
“Hush with that rot, Dare,” Sean called from behind the bar. There was warmth in his voice that told one and all he wasn’t bothered by her words at all. Dare laughed softly, then motioned toward the woman beside her.
“This is Abigail MacPhearson. She has a deep disdain for the English and don’t dare call her Abby or she’ll box your ears soundly,” Dare told Haley. She watched her friend turn her attention to the woman at her side and study her for a short while.
“You’re lucky that you’ve got Scots in you, Dare. Or I’d have kicked your arse out of the pub the very first night we met,” Abigail said primly. But there was a layer of warmth in her voice that belied the seriousness of her words.
“I love you, too, Gran,” Dare responded with a smile. A faint blush put color in Abigail’s cheeks, prompting her to lift her ale and take a drink so she could hide the fact. There was a round of snickering that went around the table until Abigail glared at the rest of the ladies. They settled, but their humor lingered in the smiles they wore. “Sitting next to Abigail is Effie Q. Stewart.”
“We’ve met, dearie. You do remember, don’t you?” Effie said, a dimple showing in her cheek because of her smile. Her eyes twinkled with mischief and a general sense of welcoming that Dare hoped Haley would take to heart.
“Yes. You were the librarian at the desk when I stopped in and asked for information, My taxi driver dropped me there,” Haley replied. There was tension in her voice, though not as much as earlier. Dare took it as a good sign.
“Och, Robbie. Meddling old man,” Morag muttered. Somehow, Dare wasn’t surprised that Robbie had brought Haley here. She hoped he was as caring and grandfatherly with Haley as he had been with Dare. Haley needed a lot of TLC after what she’d been through.
“Aye, dearie. That was me,” Effie said, her smile growing wider. “I’m so glad I could help you with your request.”
“I am, too,” Haley offered a tentative smile. “Thank you for that, by the way.”
“Any friend of Dare’s is welcome here,” Effie responded. It was a simple statement that held a great deal of depth and meaning. Haley’s gaze shifted from Effie to where Dare sat, a question in it. Dare lifted a shoulder, not sure she could or would be able to adequately answer it.
Dare turned her attention back to the introductions. “The quiet one in the corner is Willemina Munro. She runs the village store and can get you almost anything you need, if you just ask.”
“Call me Mina, love,” the woman offered, her smile soft and sweet and genuine. Dare swore it took ten pounds of tension off Haley’s shoulders. “And if there’s anything ye need, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I’ll do that,” Haley promised.
“And finally,” Dare said, her hand motioning to the last member of the group. “Sitting next to Vicki is Felicity Douglas.” Felicity smiled and wiggled her fingers in a wave, but said nothing. Each of the Grannies was watching Haley expectantly. To be fair, so was Dare. She knew this whole thing was a lot. It had been the same for her. But she wanted Haley to see that they were safe. She wanted Haley to see that Dare’s instincts were on the mark. It would take more than this single meeting, but she thought it might happen.
“I’ve more than one son, lassie! Does yer friend need a braw man to help with her toddler and wee babby?” Mrs. Teague called out, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group. Laughter broke out, rolling around the room like it was a contagion spreading to everyone, until even Haley was chuckling to herself.
“I’m pretty sure Haley has more than enough man troubles without throwing your sons into the mess, Mrs. Teague!’ Dare called out. This was followed by raucous laughter and a call for more ale from someone near the doors. Dare shifted her focus back to her friend to find Haley studying her carefully, as if trying to find what was different about her. Dare took a drink of her water, then nodded her head toward the ladies at the table with them. Toward the gathered throng in the pub behind them. “I know you’re not sure about it all, Haley. But I promise you. You’re safe here. Emilia is safe here. The Grans won’t let anything bad happen.”
Haley frowned. Her voice, when it came, was low. Guarded. “That’s kind of a simplistic view to take, Dare. These women can’t possibly face down someone like Sinister. We barely held up against the horsemen. I don’t know if we could defeat Sinister.”
“Our Dare is right, lassie,” Morag said, reaching a hand out to settle over one of Haley’s. It was an uncharacteristically soft and gentle move for the woman. As was the tone she used. Morag’s gaze flicked to Emilia first, then to Petra. She turned back to Haley with a look on her face that spoke of the violence she’d visit upon anyone who hurt the babies. “Yer safe here. And Sinister, if he shows his smarmy face, will get a sound arse kickin’ if he thinks he’ll do aught to our girls.”
Haley blinked at that. Both at the vehemence in Morag’s tone and her use of ‘our girls’ as if she said it every day. “Our girls? You’re including me in that statement? You know nothing about me,” Haley responded quietly.
“Yer a friend o’ Dare’s,” Morag began.
“Yer obviously running from something,” Catriona added.
“And Sinister did something terrible to mess with your life, lass,” Abigail finished. Haley looked slightly dazed when she turned a look Dare’s way. Dare only smiled. She understood that feeling.
“We’ve all known men like Sinister. We’ve also done our fair share of damage in our day,” Effie assured her, her pink hair bouncing almost happily as Effie nodded her head. “And Dare told us that he took her and her friends against their will. So we ken a wee bit about what happened. This may be a wee hamlet in the middle of nowhere, but we aren’t without the ability to protect ye. Ye’re verra much safe here. And ye’re as much a part o’ the family as Dare. We protect our own, Haley.”
Dare watched as Haley processed what she’d been told. She saw the confusion that came. She saw the disbelief that took the confusion’s place. She saw the hope that kicked them both out. And then she saw the tears that came. Haley turned eyes full of tears and wonder Dare’s way. “I know. Its a lot. I didn’t believe them at first, either. But they’re serious. They adopted me without knowing a thing. Same as the rest of the village.”
“Aye!” The word roared through the pub, an affirmation with enough force to shake the walls. Haley looked out at the pub’s patrons, eyes wide with surprise. The noise died down as quickly as it came, leaving the air around them filled with soft chatter and the music being piped through speakers in the ceiling.
“I thought you were out of your mind,” Haley said to Dare, her voice soft and filled with a wonder that was almost childish. “I thought you’d made a rash decision by staying here. The story you told me suggested as much. But I was wrong. I’ve only known these women for ten minutes and I realize that I was wrong.”
Dare only offered Haley a smile and took a drink of her water. TJ, who had been silent since they’d arrived, which Dare put down to being curious about a new environment and new people, reached out then to tug on the sleeve of Catriona’s shirt. The woman glanced at the little girl with a wide smile on her face. “What is it, little lassie?” she asked sweetly.
TJ giggled at that, then spoke. “Hunry,” she told Catriona loudly.
“Well, we cannae have that. Can we?” Catriona responded, winking at TJ as she did so. The action produced another round of giggles. Catriona glanced toward the bar. “Well? Ye heard the little lassie! She’s hungry. A meal for our guests!”
“Aye,” one of the serving girls replied before heading for the kitchens. Dare thought her name was Myra, but she couldn’t be sure. She’d been introduced to everyone in such a whirlwind manner that names and faces had kind of bled into one another.
When the girl had disappeared into the back, Morag turned and pinned Haley with a look. ”Now. While we wait for our meal, why dinnae ye tell us just who it is yer running from? Aside from that bastard Sinister. And dinnae claim ye aren’t runnin’, lass. We all ken the signs. So what’s the bastard’s name and how badly do we need tae hurt him?”
Haley blinked at that, then turned to look at Dare. Dare grinned. “You get used to it. They’re your Grans now. And they protect their own.”
Chapter Fifty Nine: Learning Trust
Fandom: the Marvel universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic violence, language, sex, dark themes, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of Marvel. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. Haley belongs to
dazzledfirestar Morgan belongs toginevra Roxxy belongs tonanaeanaven Jehnna belongs to silverfox_chan and Dare belongs to me. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from dazzledfirestar . Author's Notes: this is almost entirely Daz's fault. okay. so it really isn't. its actually almost 100% my fault. Daz just did a whole lot of encouraging. this fic is going to be kind of dark, so please keep that in mind while reading.
Among the Strong - the index
“Holy shit!” Haley’s voice came from behind her, shock and surprise heavy in those two words. Dare didn’t have to turn and see her face to know Haley was staring up at the painting over the fireplace mantel. Hadn’t Dare had much the same reaction a week ago when Vicki had shown her this room? “Dare. That’s…” Haley’s voice failed her a moment, then Dare heard her friend’s sharp intake of breath. “That’s you. And Remy. But… how? What the fuck?”
Dare turned to face Haley. Her friend’s gaze slid from the painting to Dare’s face and back again. Not that Dare blamed her. The likeness was fucking freaky. Dare glanced at the book in her hand, then lifted her gaze back up to Haley. “Haley. Meet Alasdare “Dare” Scott. My distant relative. And one of the most notorious pirates to ever sail the Atlantic. And that is her husband, Robert Lord.”
Haley stared with wide eyes, her gaze flicking between Dare and the painting looming up behind her. “There’s a past version of you? And she was a pirate? And she married a past version of Remy?”
Dare drew a breath, held it a moment, and blew it out. Her emotions were as much in turmoil now as they had been when Vicki had first brought her to this room. She raised the book she held in her hand, held it up so that Haley could see the leather cover. There was nothing on the front, but there were dates embossed on the spine in gold. “Not a past version of Remy. Remy.”
That statement pulled Haley’s gaze to Dare’s face. “What?”
“When Fitzroy attacked that night. And we lost Remy to one of his time portals. That’s where he ended up,” Dare said, her empty hand motioning toward the painting.
“That’s…” Haley began, but faltered as he brain kicked into gear. Dare saw it in the way her expression changed and her eyes seemed to lose their intensity. Dare let her go over the implications of everything, memories of that night flashing through her mind. She’d felt helpless when she’d seen the portal open. And worse still when Fitzroy had shoved Remy into the gaping hole behind him. She’d wanted to follow them, wanted to roast Fitzroy to a crisp. But she’d been weak and unsteady after everything had happened.
Finally, Haley looked at Dare and she could see that the other woman wanted to know what was going on. Dare motioned to the corner of the room where the settee and chairs waited silently to offer comfort. Haley nodded, the action only just betraying the slight daze Haley was in. Then she moved toward the collection of furniture and chose a chair in which to settle. Dare followed her and took the settee, setting the leather-bound book on the cushion beside her. A moment later, there was a brisk knock at the door. Then it opened to allowed Jameson into the room. He carried the tray he’d delivered to the sitting room, the one that held the beverages and snacks he’d prepared for them.
“I thought you might need this, Miss Alasdare,” he intoned as he settled the tray on the low table positioned between the settee and chairs.
“Thank you, Jameson. I’m sure we will. You’re an absolute doll. If I didn’t have enough man troubles,” she said, letting the last bit remain unspoken. It didn’t matter. The implication was enough to see a faint blush stain the man’s cheeks. Dare hid her smile of triumph. It was so rare to see Jameson unsettled.
“Why someone as young and beautiful as you would take an interest in an old man like me,” he replied, effectively killing her feeling of triumph. And it was Dare’s turn to blush. “Thank you for the compliment, Miss Alasdare, but you are above my station.”
“He needs to meet Logan,” Haley interjected.
“I’d rather he didn’t,” Dare commented, her words coming out sounding only slightly cranky. Haley laughed outright while Jameson didn’t bother stifling his smile. He headed for the door, stopping only when he had the knob in hand and the ornate panel open.
“If there is nothing else?” he questioned. Dare shook her head. He sent her a look she didn’t bother to read, then turned a smile on Haley. “Very good. If you ladies require anything else, please don’t hesitate to let me know.” A moment later, he was gone and the door was once more shut to afford them some privacy.
Dare reached for her Coke and had a sip, allowing Haley a moment to both pour herself some coffee and have a sip of it. When she set the cup down on the tray and leveled her gaze on Dare, Dare knew it was time to tell her a really wild, really unbelievable story. Heaving a sigh, she picked up the book and settled it on her lap. Haley’s eyes followed her movements, curiosity bright in her gaze. “So. I’m going to tell you a crazy story. But I assure you everything I will tell you is true.” One finger tapped the leather cover of the book resting on her thighs. “This is my ancestor’s journal. Well, a copy. The originals are so fragile that they’ve been sealed away to prevent them from deteriorating.”
“Like the Declaration of Independence,” Haley supplied. Dare nodded.
“My ancestor,” Dare began, one hand motioning toward the painting on the wall behind Haley. She let her gaze study the other woman’s face yet another time, surprised all over again by the fact that they could be twins. Dare cleared her throat and started speaking again. “Alasdare was born to a titled family in the Highlands of Scotland sometime in the early fifteen seventies. At the age of fourteen, she was betrothed to an unnamed English Lord. When she found out about it, she literally ran away from home,.”
Haley quirked a smile at that. “Sounds a lot like you.”
Dare made a face, but said nothing in response. Haley allowed a knowing grin to settle on her face for a moment. Then she sobered up and motioned to the book in Dare’s lap. Dare took that as a sign to continue. She let her own gaze drop to the book, bound in rich black leather. Someone had edged the pages in the same gold that lettered the spine. “Alasdare took to the sea, disguising herself as a boy to gain position on a ship. A pirate ship.”
“She joined a pirate crew at the age of fourteen?” Haley asked, her eyebrows arching skyward in a show of surprise. Dare expected another comment about that sounding like her. But none was forthcoming. So Dare took a breath, took another drink, and plunged headfirst into a story she was still having a hard time believing.
“She did. And it was apparently a ship with a very bad reputation. They were eventually caught by the Royal Navy. Members of the crew who weren’t taken captive perished with the ship. Alasdare found herself in the dungeons, awaiting trial. She was still young, not even twenty yet. But she was going to be put to death for piracy. And for being witchbreed.”
Haley frowned. “Witchbreed?” she asked, her confusion obvious.
“She was a mutant. She controlled fire.”
“A true pyrokinetic?” Haley’s voice was filled with awe. What were the fucking odds that two women from the same family would not only look like twins but they would carry the same powers? Dare was sure it had to be astronomical.
“By all accounts, yes. A true pyrokinetic. And, like now, those considered witchbreed were persecuted. Hunted down and killed because people didn’t understand. Because people were afraid. Because humans make a habit of murdering that which is different,” Dare said. She was sure Haley caught the bitterness in her voice.
“So how did she escape death?” Haley’s question was an obvious attempt to prod Dare into continuing her story.
“She got a visit from a priest who offered her a chance to live. She just had to promise to do what he asked of her,” Dare told her friend. Again, her gaze slid to the painting while she mused over the fact that the four hundred years between them could only be four hours or days or weeks. Their lives were far more alike than not. “She knew it was a bad idea to agree, but she wanted to live. And the decision was made for her when a nobleman, who had apparently been in her cell the whole time she’d spoken with this priest, urged her not to give up. So, when the dawn came and she found herself facing down the executioner’s axe, she sold herself into a kind of slavery that she regretted for the rest of her life.”
“What did she have to do?”
“She helped this priest hunt other witchbreed,” Dare said softly. She saw Haley’s eyebrows rise in surprise. “She had a handler who trained her how to be a spy. How to seduce men and how to kill without being caught. Her handler introduced her into society as his cousin from the north. Gave her a new identity to work with. Dressed her in the finest gowns and secretly cringed every time she opened her mouth because he could not get the Scots out of it. And, yes. She actually wrote that down.” She smiled with Haley over that. They both chuckled a bit, because it was absolutely something Dare would say or write. It was kind of mind boggling to her just how much she was like a long deceased ancestor who likely had no idea that her legacy would live on as it had.
“I feel like I would very much like this ancestor of yours,” Haley said.
“I think I would, too,” Dare agreed. She glanced at the book in her lap, at the closed cover, and ran a hand across it. The leather was soft and supple and she could smell it even resting in her lap as it was. With a sigh, she opened the book and turned pages carefully, letting her gaze flick over the handwritten entries contained within the book.
It was a more modern copy of one of Alasdare’s journals, written a hundred or more years after the originals had been penned. The English in it was such that Dare could read it fairly easily. She’d seen one of the originals. The writing had been small but neat, the dark ink vibrant against paper that had yellowed with age. And entirely in Gaelic. Dare had admired the writing for its tidiness. It was nothing like her own writing, which tended to fall closer to messy more often than not. And she had admired the use of Gaelic because the letters, so familiar in shape and form, had flowed beautifully across the page. Also because using Gaelic had made it harder for non-speakers to read the fantastical things about which she’d written.
“Her first true test was to murder a nobleman. Said nobleman was very much in the eye of society. Tall. Handsome. Rakishly handsome, in Alasdare’s words. He was titled in both England and France. Wanted by women for his good looks and his rumored sexual prowess. Wanted by men for bedding their women.” Dare let her gaze shift to the painting again. This time, her focus was the man standing beside her ancestor. “This noble was named Robert Lord.”
Haley stared at Dare a moment before turning to look at the painting behind her. “You said that was Remy,” Haley commented, obviously trying to puzzle out the things Dare hadn’t told her yet.
“It is. But he posed as Robert Lord. Because the man known as Robert Lord was Remy’s twin. Save his eyes, which were blue like the sky on the clearest day,” Dare told her.
“Your ancestor seems to have had a poetic heart,” Haley observed.
“She was very much in love with Robert Lord. She made the mistake of falling in love with him while she was attempting to seduce him. When it came time to fulfill her orders, it was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. And a part of her died that night when Robert Lord breathed his last,” Dare explained. She’d cried ugly tears when she’d read Alasdare’s recollection of Robert Lord’s death and her part in it. Even now, thinking on it made her heart ache. Because she understood. “Mission completed, Alasdare slipped away from her handler and returned to the sea. This time, she paired up with another witchbreed. And then three more. And the five of them set sail on a ship named The Valkyrie.”
Dare motioned to the ceiling and watched Haley as she discovered the scene that had been painted there. It didn’t take the other woman long to turn back toward her.”Five mutants on one ship, pirating together? Why does this sound vaguely familiar?” Haley asked.
Dare couldn’t help her smile. She gazed up at the painting that covered the room’s ceiling. She’d had plenty of time to do so over the past week. She knew the image so well, she could damn near see it in her sleep. Once or twice, she’d woken from dreams that had felt so terribly real. Dreams filled with shouting, with blood staining wooden decks. Dreams filled with cannons booming and belching smoke and fire. The scent of salt and sea had been in her nose those mornings, almost as if she’d been in the battles she’d seen play out in her mind. “The smallest ship, the black one, is The Valkyrie. It was captained by five witchbreed women. Morgan LaFarve, Rosemary Stuart, Jehnna D’abo, Alasdare Scott, and Haley Stone. No ship on the open seas stood against them and remained afloat. They were vicious and hard. They were feared by one and all. And all of them had prices on their heads.”
Haley was silent, but Dare knew she was as surprised as Dare had been when she’d read the story. When she’d found out that her ancestor had been friends with past versions of Dare’s friends. “The red and gold ship is The Avenger. Captained by Lord Anthony Stark, who was Alasdare’s handler. The last ship, the dragon ship, belonged to a man named only as Thor in the journal. This mural depicts the last battle Alasdare and friends and crew were part of.”
“You’re telling me that there are past versions of all of us? And other people we know?” Haley asked, turning to give Dare a look that was equal parts curious and confused and disbelieving. Dare nodded.
“Yes.” She paused and glanced back at the painting. “Remy was involved in that battle. Alasdare nearly lost her life. She nearly lost the children she carried in that battle.”
The last of her words came out so softly they were almost a whisper. The room was silent, though, so Haley heard her. She felt her friend’s gaze land on her face. She swore she could hear what Haley was thinking. “The priest who had offered her a way out was on one of the other ships. He wanted her to bring him the crew of The Valkyrie and when Alasdare refused, the priest launched an attack on the ship and her crew. Thor and Lord Stark came to their aid.”
“What happened?” Haley’s voice held more curiosity than confusion at this point. There was still a hint of disbelief, though. Dare gave her attention to Haley and offered her a smile. She knew it wasn’t a great smile and that it didn’t reach her eyes.
“The girls were wanted. The decision was made to sail to France and hole up at Lord’s estate. Remy was posing as Lord at this point and it was determined that his status as a French noble could be put to use to protect the girls from the priest and his vendetta. They sailed there. Alasdare convalesced. Paperwork surfaced proving that Lord Robert Lord and Lady Isabell MacKenzie had been married in a church in France. Eventually, Alasdare’s children were born. She was happy. She knew, though, that Remy was saddened about something. She suspected it had to do with where he’d come to her from. She knew that he wasn’t from her time, but not when. And then word came that Lord Stark was being held by the English court for piracy and treason against the crown.”
Haley frowned at that. “Alasdare went to save him, didn’t she?”
“No. She wanted to. But her children were still wee babies. Remy offered to go for her. And he had help.” Dare glanced at the book in her lap. The whole thing was about the events that had happened to her ancestor after Remy had mysteriously shown up in the bed of a tavern prostitute in a coastal village that made its money off pirates and privateers. And everything she’d read had been plaguing her non-stop since she’d done so.
“The girls?” Haley guessed. She was hooked on the story at this point, her attention given solely to Dare. Dare opened the book to some of the last pages and looked at what was written there.
“No. The girls had all long since moved on with their lives. Haley got married and returned to England. Rosemary left the British Isles and returned to the new world. Jehnna and her boy toy went with. Morgan returned to the seas, sailing her beloved ship under a new name.”
“Then who helped Remy rescue Stark?”
“Scott,” Dare whispered. She watched as the color fled Haley’s cheeks and sadness rushed to fill in the empty spaces in her gaze. Closing the book, Dare set it back on the cushion beside her and gave Haley her full attention.
“When he and the others went to find Remy?” Haley guessed. Dare nodded. She waited to see if Haley would say anything else. But she kept her thoughts and comments to herself. Instead, she made a rolling motion with one hand to let know Dare should continue her story.
“Alasdare made her goodbyes because she knew Remy wouldn’t be back. Once Stark was freed, he sailed to France to see her. Together, they formed a plan to put Robert Lord to rest once and for all. Under cover of dark, they sailed Lord’s personal vessel out into open waters and sank her. Then they leaked word of the ship going down and of Robert Lord being on it. Alasdare played the grieving widow for the appropriate length of time, then agreed to marry Lord Stark. He apparently adored her. He built this house for her. And the village, too. He damn near indulged her every whim. They had children together. They grew old together. She never set sail again. She poured all of her time and energy into protecting people like her. Other witchbreed. The village was founded as a safe haven for any and all witchbreed who sought it out.”
Haley was silent for a long moment. Dare simply watched her, waiting to see if she said something. Waiting for some kind of reaction. She knew that the mention of Scott had thrown her friend. And she was sure it also had Haley’s mind turning. Dare almost felt sorry for Scott if Haley ever spoke to him again. She had no doubt he’d get an earful. Then again, she wasn’t sure how she felt about all of the things she’d learned about Remy. So she could kind of understand what Haley might be thinking with regard to all of this shit. Not that Dare would press. It wasn’t any of her business.
“Did you know about this place before you left?” The question kind of came out of left field. A glance at her friend told Dare nothing about what prompted the question. Still, Dare shook her head.
“I’d never heard of it until Vicki brought me here and showed me all of this.” Dare motioned to the room vaguely with one hand, a gesture meant to encompass the room and the house in which is existed. And the village down the road.
Haley nodded, absorbing that for a moment. Then she frowned at Dare. “So how did you end up here?”
Dare heaved a sigh. She supposed she owed Haley more than a simple apology. “I hadn’t planned on coming here at all. When I first left the school, the only thing I had on my mind for certain was London. Mum still has family in the area and I figured I could hang out there for a few days before I figured out what my next move was. Then the plane landed at Heathrow and I ducked into a bookshop for a moment. To catch my breath and figure out how I was going to approach my family. There was a poster on the wall. A glossy thing with this amazing image of Eilean Donan. There was a bunch of green and sunlight glittering on the water of the loch surrounding it and… I don’t know. Some voice told me to go to Scotland. I found a cottage for let and decided I was going to stay there. And then the owner showed up.”
“This Vicki person?” Haley asked.
Dare nodded, still recalling the almost dream-like quality of that whole meeting. Hell, a week later and she still found herself not quite believing what had happened. “Yes. She laid eyes on me and Petra and said she couldn’t leave us alone in her cottage and then she said she was my cousin and she couldn’t just let kin hide out in a cottage with no one. So she brought me here and… “ Dare’s words faded. So she motioned toward the painting. As if that explained it all. Maybe it did, because she’d seen the same disbelief in Haley’s face that had to have been on her own.
“You’re telling me your cousin lives here in this giant ass manor house?” Haley asked. Dare thought she maybe heard a touch of something in Haley’s voice. As if she thought Dare was being naive about it all. “And she just happened to recognize you as her cousin? And she brought you here to hide out? And you didn’t think that was weird?”
“Of course I thought it was weird. I thought it was weird as hell! But for once, Haley, I let myself trust someone I didn’t know. I let myself rely on the kindness of strangers. Do you know how hard that is for me?” Dare glanced at the window, not at all surprised to find that it was raining. She thought back to those first days after she’d ditched the school and New York and hopped a plane to Europe. How that flight attendant had made her flight so much less stressful by being so nice to her. She thought about Robbie, who had been so genuinely sweet with her. How he’d acted the part of a concerned grandparent with a woman he’d never met before. And she thought about Vicki, how she’d welcomed Dare into her home without question. Despite the fact that Dare had warned her things could very possibly go south for them all. Vicki had simply smiled and nodded and made her feel like she belonged. “Do you know how… intoxicating it was for me? To feel like someone I didn’t know, who had no reason at all to be kind, actually cared about me and what happened to me? Like, I know you care. I know there are people back in the US that care about me. But that’s a relationship that has been built on many long years of being around one another. The idea that absolute strangers cared about me? It blew my mind.”
“I’m sure it was a hell of a feeling, Dare,” Haley said. “But that’s supposed to be the norm. Not something unique.”
“And you got to live a life where that was the norm for you, Haley,” Dare told her. “I didn’t get that. My life was never that kind of normal. I was always moving. Always the odd kid out. I didn’t fit with anyone until Morgan. And then we moved and she was taken away from me and I was angry. I was always angry. And I can see now, as an adult, how hard having a child like me was for my parents. Up until my mutation kicked in, I’d been quiet and sweet. A good kid. Then, almost literally over night, I was angry and capable of burning the goddamn house down. My parents were suddenly distant. And I didn’t understand that it was because they wanted to help me and didn’t know how. That they were scared. Of both the things I could do and what could happen to me if someone, the wrong someone, found out what I could do. I thought that was indifference. Or even hatred. Do you know how scarring that was for me? How difficult it was to live in a home where I knew I was wrong somehow and my parents, to my thinking, hated me for it?”
She was crying again, damn it. She’d cried more in the past few weeks than she could remember doing since Creed had grabbed her all those years ago and left her absolutely confused about everything. Dare reached for her Coke and had a drink, wished it was something stronger. But she’d given it up years ago. But the urge to get fall down drunk was always there, just like the lure of the flames that lingered at the back of her brain. The one that she feared she’d lose herself to if she gave in to it.
Haley stared at her. She hadn’t really ever spoken about her childhood with her friends. She knew Morgan knew some of it. But she’d still never talked about it with her. She figured Faye had told Morgan everything she’d needed to know. And that Morgan didn’t want to ask questions for fear of upsetting Dare. So it was no surprise that Haley didn’t have a response at the ready. There was a touch of surprise in her eyes at the admission. And at the fact that Dare had trusted her enough to tell her that. Because Dare had never trusted anyone to tell them anything. Too much time living on the streets as a teenager with the wrong kind of parental figures to guide her, she guessed.
Or maybe it was simply because she was broken so completely and so terribly that there was no way to ever fix her.
“I’m sorry, Dare. I didn’t know. I… “ Haley stopped, seemingly at a loss for words.
“No one knew, Haley. Because I was too chicken shit to let myself trust the people I claimed to love. I owed you so much more than the basics. I owed you my trust.”
“You trusted me, Dare,” Haley insisted.
That earned her a snort and Dare shook her head. “I trusted you with the bare minimum, Haley. You placed all of your trust in me when you asked me to be part of your team, knowing I was a loose cannon. Knowing that my powers could run wild and destroy everything you worked for. You trusted me with your life. And your friendship. And I repaid you with a whole lot of nothing. I hoarded my secrets like a dragon lying atop its pile of gold. And they’ve nearly destroyed everything more than once. There is nothing I can ever do to apologize for that. I will be apologizing to you in every way I can think of until the day I die.”
Haley was in tears, but the last statement earned Dare a smile and a huff of laughter. “You already did that,” she reminded Dare. Dare barked a sharp laugh, then glanced away. Her eyes came to rest, once more, on the painting on the wall across from her. And she wondered, yet once more, if her secrecy had played part in the spectacularly terrible way her relationship with Remy had ended. “And you don’t owe me any apologies, Dare. You’ve saved my life, and the lives of our friends, more than I can count. You did so without thought of what might happen to you. You are fiercely loyal. To a fault, honestly. You love without reservation. And you always, always come back from the worst that life has thrown at you. You are no where near chicken shit. You are one of the bravest people I know.”
“And a wee bit daft.” The addition came from the doorway, bringing both Dare and Haley’s heads around so that they stared at the woman standing there.
“Aye,” Dare agreed with a grin. “And a wee bit daft.” Her response prompted laughter from their visitor and confusion from Haley. Dare’s grin softened to a smile and she motioned with one hand toward the new arrival. “Haley. This is my cousin, Victoria Fergus. She’ll beat you if you call her anything other than Vicki, though. Only Jameson is allowed to get away with calling her Victoria. Vicki, this is Haley Storm. Formerly Haley Stone. The leader of Purple Team and my good friend.”
Haley rose as Vicki approached, a touch of apprehension on her face. No doubt because Vicki was looking at her like she’d seen a ghost. There’d been a lot of that happening in the village lately. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Haley. I can call you Haley, aye?” Vicki had one hand stretched out in offer to Haley.
Dare had to hide her smirk when Haley glanced back at her in confusion. Then she faced Vicki and slowly put her hand in the other woman’s. The shake was a good one, not too long nor too tight or loose. Vicki let Haley’s hand go just before it might have gotten uncomfortable. Then she turned a gaze Dare’s way. “The spitting image, I tell you.”
“I kind of figured,” Dare nodded.
“The spitting image of what?” Haley asked, obviously confused.
Vicki smiled, then inclined her head toward the door. “Perhaps I should show you. If you’d follow me, please?”
Haley sent another confused look Dare’s way, obviously uncertain about this. Dare only smiled and nodded, then got up from the settee and headed for the door. Haley was close on her heels. Probably a combination of curiosity and the unwillingness to let Dare from her sight. Dare supposed she couldn’t blame her. She had up and disappeared on Haley. More than once.
When they joined Vicki at the door, she led them out into the hallway. Dare had an idea as to what was going on, but she couldn’t be certain. She hadn’t explored much of the house because, quite frankly, it wasn’t her place and she felt it would be rude after Vicki had gone out of her way to offer Dare such a grand room and the ability to stay in the house in the first place. It was much more comfortable than the cottage would have been. She wasn’t going to repay that kindness with rude behavior.
It was a short trip up the hall. They stopped four doors away from the one leading into her ancestor’s room. Vicki turned to look at them both, a knowing smile on her face. “This is the room set aside for visits from Alasdare’s closest friend,” she told them before opening the door. The first thing Dare noticed was the soft shade of blue on the walls. Vicki motioned them inside. “Lady Barton often paid visits to Alasdare.”
“Lady who?” Haley asked, voice choked.
They had stepped just inside the door, so Vicki swept an arm toward one of the walls. Hanging upon it was a large painting set in a gilt frame. In the painting, a woman sat upon what appeared to be a plush couch. She was glad in a pale blue gown of silk that complemented the paleness of her skin. Her red hair had been left long that, again, seemed to Dare to be against the style of the time. Green eyes stared steadily out of the painting, filled with intelligence, pleasure, and the faintest touch of sorrow. The room around her had been done in warm shades of gold and bronze and softly blurred so that anyone looking at the painting was drawn straight to couple who had posed for it.
And it was a couple. Because standing behind the plush couch was a young man, his skin kissed by the sun and his hair golden and overlong upon his head. Blue eyes sparkled with mischief and a faint smirk pulled up one corner of his mouth. “Damn,” Dare commented. “Barton looks the same now as he did then.”
She heard Haley choke and couldn’t quite stifle her laughter.
~*~
“”Vicki!” Catriona called out the moment the door opened and allowed Vicki through it. “And Dare, my lass!’
Dare was used to the greeting. She and Vicki had made a point of going into the village every night so she could spend time with her newly adopted family. She suspected Vicki had suggested the idea to keep her from crawling back into herself, something which Dare had been tempted to do after that first trip to the pub. The night had been very overwhelming.
“How is the wee babby?” Morag asked, already on her way around the bar. There was a smile on her face, which was kind of frightening because her smiles always looked like the last thing you’d see before a crazed serial killer chopped you up into little pieces. It was one of the many things Dare loved about her. The woman’s gaze landed on Haley, who was between Vicki and Dare. Haley had gone still upon entry and the way she stared around her suggested to Dare that she had slipped into vigilance. “And who is this with ye?”
“Morag, meet my friend Haley. Haley, this is Morag. She’s one of the Grans,” Dare explained, though she knew that wouldn’t mean anything to Haley. At least, not yet. She had a suspicion that it would mean a great deal before the night was over. “The baby she’s carrying is Emilia. And the little charmer standing beside her is TJ.”
Morag took a moment to study Haley and her daughters. After several moments spent staring at Emilia, she looked back at Dare. “Sinister again?”
“Yes,” Dare nodded.
“Dare? What’s going on? How does she know about Sinister?” Dare heard the note in Haley’s voice that said she was only moments away from armoring up. Dare handed Petra’s car seat over to Morag so she could turn all of her attention to her friend. She didn’t miss the gentle smile that came to Morag’s face, nor did she miss the way the woman started whispering to the baby. Dare was sure it was nothing good.
“I know you’re freaking out, Haley. But I promise. You’re with friends. You trust me, right?” she asked, her voice quiet. Dare knew that the events in the hallway with Jean had done something to how Haley regarded strangers around her children. Not that she blamed her. Jean was lucky Dare hadn’t given in to the urge to kill her. She regretted not singeing some of the woman’s hair off in warning. Not that she couldn’t do it at a later time. She still felt like Jean had gotten off easy after all she’d done. But that hyper-vigilance wasn’t needed here. She needed Haley to understand that. These women, this village, would do everything in their power to keep Sinister from ever laying a hand on Dare or Haley or their babies. And Dare wanted Haley to know that.
Haley’s gaze slowly slid toward Dare’s face. It was filled with confusion and fear and the desire to run. “How do you know?” she asked quietly.
“You know those trust issues we were talking about earlier?” Dare replied. Haley nodded. Dare knew for a fact that Haley was well acquainted with all of her many and varied trust issues. “I trust these people. All of them. You can trust them, too. “
Haley stared at her, eyes wide at the implications in Dare’s words.
“I know. Who would have thought that I’d grow up enough to start trusting people? But this is what I meant about kindness earlier. These ladies adopted me as one of their own after knowing me for a half an hour. I have six Grans who would fight for me. And I would do the same for them. They’re good people, Haley. I know I am not the best judge of character. But I swear they are good people. Every last one of them. Even Mrs. Teague, who keeps trying to push her sons on me.”
“Aye, lassie. Ye need a braw man to take care o’ ye and that wee bairn o’ yers.” Mrs. Teague called from one of the tables.
“And I’ve told you, ma’am, that I have more men than I know what to do with,” Dare replied. Her comment earned a round of gentle laughter and, slowly, the room returned to normal. Conversations picked back up and attention shifted away from the new arrivals.
Catriona’s gaze slid from Haley to Dare then to Vicki. She tipped her head toward the back of the pub, a faint smile touching her lips. “Shall we retire to our table?” she asked.
“Aye. I feel we’ve things tae discuss,” Morag said before turning and heading off toward the far corner, where no doubt the rest of the Grannies waited. Dare watched Haley watch the other woman go with Petra’s car seat held in her hand. She turned a look toward Dare that asked questions to which she wouldn’t give voice. Dare just nodded and started after Granny Morag.
“The usual, Sean,” she said as she passed the bar. She knew Haley was behind her, the way Sean’s eyes moved telling her he was following her progress. She smiled at that, because she knew it was equal parts awe and infatuation. He’d been the same way when she’d first started frequenting the pub. He was younger than he looked and he seemed to fall in love daily. “And the same for Haley, please.”
“You’ve got it, Dare,” he replied and turned to his task.
When they arrived at the usual table, someone had pulled a second, smaller table over and pushed it up against the end of their regular table. The chairs had been brought with, too, and sat empty for the newly arrived party. Vicki took the empty seat at the regular table, so Dare motioned to the second table and waited until Haley settled into one of the wooden chairs. Catriona, as if sensing the hesitation and worry on the woman, took the seat next to Haley. That left Dare to sit beside Abigail, who was on the last seat of the main table. Morag settled Petra’s seat on a high chair at the end of the table, then took the seat next to Dare and let her gaze slide over the assembled group. “Ye get tae make introductions, lassie,” she said to Dare.
“Okay,” Dare nodded. Before she could start, Sean arrived with a tray laden with drinks, Ales for the Grannies and Vicki. Water for Dare and Haley. And a cup of milk for TJ, who had thus far stared wide eyed at everything and said next to nothing. A chair was produced for the girl, one tall enough that she could see over the top of the table with ease. A second high chair appeared and, after a bit of apprehension, Haley settled Emilia’s car seat onto it. Her hands reached up to play idly with the mug of water.
“Ladies,” Dare began, letting her gaze slide from one Granny to the next before bringing it to rest on Haley. “This is my friend, Haley Storm. Haley, I would like for you to meet the Grannies.”
Haley shot her a look that suggested she thought it was an odd introduction. Dare smiled and motioned to the woman beside her. “This is Morag Campbell. She will happily tell you she’s the village witch and she’ll also happily offer to hex anyone who hurts you or your feelings.”
Haley offered a faint smile to Morag, obviously not quite certain of the introduction. Morag smiled back, something a little less feral than the smile she’d given earlier. “Pleasure, lass,” Morag replied.
“Catriona Peadarsan,” Dare said, this time motioning to the woman beside Haley. “She owns the pub and keeps the lot behind us in line.” A good-natured noise of denial rose behind them, every person inside the pub taking issue with the announcement while agreeing with it in a single sound. “Sean is her nephew and he falls in love with someone at least once an hour. Right now, he’s got stars in his eyes over you.”
“Hush with that rot, Dare,” Sean called from behind the bar. There was warmth in his voice that told one and all he wasn’t bothered by her words at all. Dare laughed softly, then motioned toward the woman beside her.
“This is Abigail MacPhearson. She has a deep disdain for the English and don’t dare call her Abby or she’ll box your ears soundly,” Dare told Haley. She watched her friend turn her attention to the woman at her side and study her for a short while.
“You’re lucky that you’ve got Scots in you, Dare. Or I’d have kicked your arse out of the pub the very first night we met,” Abigail said primly. But there was a layer of warmth in her voice that belied the seriousness of her words.
“I love you, too, Gran,” Dare responded with a smile. A faint blush put color in Abigail’s cheeks, prompting her to lift her ale and take a drink so she could hide the fact. There was a round of snickering that went around the table until Abigail glared at the rest of the ladies. They settled, but their humor lingered in the smiles they wore. “Sitting next to Abigail is Effie Q. Stewart.”
“We’ve met, dearie. You do remember, don’t you?” Effie said, a dimple showing in her cheek because of her smile. Her eyes twinkled with mischief and a general sense of welcoming that Dare hoped Haley would take to heart.
“Yes. You were the librarian at the desk when I stopped in and asked for information, My taxi driver dropped me there,” Haley replied. There was tension in her voice, though not as much as earlier. Dare took it as a good sign.
“Och, Robbie. Meddling old man,” Morag muttered. Somehow, Dare wasn’t surprised that Robbie had brought Haley here. She hoped he was as caring and grandfatherly with Haley as he had been with Dare. Haley needed a lot of TLC after what she’d been through.
“Aye, dearie. That was me,” Effie said, her smile growing wider. “I’m so glad I could help you with your request.”
“I am, too,” Haley offered a tentative smile. “Thank you for that, by the way.”
“Any friend of Dare’s is welcome here,” Effie responded. It was a simple statement that held a great deal of depth and meaning. Haley’s gaze shifted from Effie to where Dare sat, a question in it. Dare lifted a shoulder, not sure she could or would be able to adequately answer it.
Dare turned her attention back to the introductions. “The quiet one in the corner is Willemina Munro. She runs the village store and can get you almost anything you need, if you just ask.”
“Call me Mina, love,” the woman offered, her smile soft and sweet and genuine. Dare swore it took ten pounds of tension off Haley’s shoulders. “And if there’s anything ye need, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I’ll do that,” Haley promised.
“And finally,” Dare said, her hand motioning to the last member of the group. “Sitting next to Vicki is Felicity Douglas.” Felicity smiled and wiggled her fingers in a wave, but said nothing. Each of the Grannies was watching Haley expectantly. To be fair, so was Dare. She knew this whole thing was a lot. It had been the same for her. But she wanted Haley to see that they were safe. She wanted Haley to see that Dare’s instincts were on the mark. It would take more than this single meeting, but she thought it might happen.
“I’ve more than one son, lassie! Does yer friend need a braw man to help with her toddler and wee babby?” Mrs. Teague called out, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group. Laughter broke out, rolling around the room like it was a contagion spreading to everyone, until even Haley was chuckling to herself.
“I’m pretty sure Haley has more than enough man troubles without throwing your sons into the mess, Mrs. Teague!’ Dare called out. This was followed by raucous laughter and a call for more ale from someone near the doors. Dare shifted her focus back to her friend to find Haley studying her carefully, as if trying to find what was different about her. Dare took a drink of her water, then nodded her head toward the ladies at the table with them. Toward the gathered throng in the pub behind them. “I know you’re not sure about it all, Haley. But I promise you. You’re safe here. Emilia is safe here. The Grans won’t let anything bad happen.”
Haley frowned. Her voice, when it came, was low. Guarded. “That’s kind of a simplistic view to take, Dare. These women can’t possibly face down someone like Sinister. We barely held up against the horsemen. I don’t know if we could defeat Sinister.”
“Our Dare is right, lassie,” Morag said, reaching a hand out to settle over one of Haley’s. It was an uncharacteristically soft and gentle move for the woman. As was the tone she used. Morag’s gaze flicked to Emilia first, then to Petra. She turned back to Haley with a look on her face that spoke of the violence she’d visit upon anyone who hurt the babies. “Yer safe here. And Sinister, if he shows his smarmy face, will get a sound arse kickin’ if he thinks he’ll do aught to our girls.”
Haley blinked at that. Both at the vehemence in Morag’s tone and her use of ‘our girls’ as if she said it every day. “Our girls? You’re including me in that statement? You know nothing about me,” Haley responded quietly.
“Yer a friend o’ Dare’s,” Morag began.
“Yer obviously running from something,” Catriona added.
“And Sinister did something terrible to mess with your life, lass,” Abigail finished. Haley looked slightly dazed when she turned a look Dare’s way. Dare only smiled. She understood that feeling.
“We’ve all known men like Sinister. We’ve also done our fair share of damage in our day,” Effie assured her, her pink hair bouncing almost happily as Effie nodded her head. “And Dare told us that he took her and her friends against their will. So we ken a wee bit about what happened. This may be a wee hamlet in the middle of nowhere, but we aren’t without the ability to protect ye. Ye’re verra much safe here. And ye’re as much a part o’ the family as Dare. We protect our own, Haley.”
Dare watched as Haley processed what she’d been told. She saw the confusion that came. She saw the disbelief that took the confusion’s place. She saw the hope that kicked them both out. And then she saw the tears that came. Haley turned eyes full of tears and wonder Dare’s way. “I know. Its a lot. I didn’t believe them at first, either. But they’re serious. They adopted me without knowing a thing. Same as the rest of the village.”
“Aye!” The word roared through the pub, an affirmation with enough force to shake the walls. Haley looked out at the pub’s patrons, eyes wide with surprise. The noise died down as quickly as it came, leaving the air around them filled with soft chatter and the music being piped through speakers in the ceiling.
“I thought you were out of your mind,” Haley said to Dare, her voice soft and filled with a wonder that was almost childish. “I thought you’d made a rash decision by staying here. The story you told me suggested as much. But I was wrong. I’ve only known these women for ten minutes and I realize that I was wrong.”
Dare only offered Haley a smile and took a drink of her water. TJ, who had been silent since they’d arrived, which Dare put down to being curious about a new environment and new people, reached out then to tug on the sleeve of Catriona’s shirt. The woman glanced at the little girl with a wide smile on her face. “What is it, little lassie?” she asked sweetly.
TJ giggled at that, then spoke. “Hunry,” she told Catriona loudly.
“Well, we cannae have that. Can we?” Catriona responded, winking at TJ as she did so. The action produced another round of giggles. Catriona glanced toward the bar. “Well? Ye heard the little lassie! She’s hungry. A meal for our guests!”
“Aye,” one of the serving girls replied before heading for the kitchens. Dare thought her name was Myra, but she couldn’t be sure. She’d been introduced to everyone in such a whirlwind manner that names and faces had kind of bled into one another.
When the girl had disappeared into the back, Morag turned and pinned Haley with a look. ”Now. While we wait for our meal, why dinnae ye tell us just who it is yer running from? Aside from that bastard Sinister. And dinnae claim ye aren’t runnin’, lass. We all ken the signs. So what’s the bastard’s name and how badly do we need tae hurt him?”
Haley blinked at that, then turned to look at Dare. Dare grinned. “You get used to it. They’re your Grans now. And they protect their own.”
(no subject)
Date: 2025-12-22 07:25 pm (UTC)Dare explaining the diary and the history is beautiful and wrapping that up with the rest of the stuff she clearly needed to get out balances all the weird non-linear timeline stuff out well. lol Ooooo Scott and Remy are in for it once all the other shit settles. LMAO
I'm so happy that the grans took Haley and her babies in. I think at this point she's just as in need of some kindness as Dare is. It'll take time but the hypervigilance will probably lessen eventually. Maybe.
Great work, hun. I don't know how much the grans will be able to get out of her, but god help Haley if she tries to hide anything, right? lol
(no subject)
Date: 2025-12-22 11:23 pm (UTC)it is becoming more and more obvious that Dare needed this escape for more than just getting her head on. she's letting go of things she might never have told before all of this happened. i didn't expect that the healing process would start for her in that manor house in the Highlands. but apparently it did. and yes. i think Remy and Scott are in for a full ration when the girls get a hold of them again.
i think the Grans looked at Haley and agreed, without issue, that she was one of theirs. to be honest, that kindness - the kindness of absolute strangers - is probably the best medicine Haley and Dare could get. hopefully it helps them both heal and grow. and yeah. i can imagine it will take time for Haley's hypervigilance to fade. but the Grans are going to take good care of both her and the babies. so she should be able to relax sooner rather than later.
i don't expect the Grans are going to press Haley for too much information. they'll probably let her tell them in her own time. but don't dare think for a moment that they won't give the boys a ration of shit and a whole slew of interesting threats if given the chance. the Grans are a fierce, protective lot... there definitely needs to be more with the Grans. so much more
glad you enjoyed, honey. thanks for reading! <3
(no subject)
Date: 2026-01-07 05:21 pm (UTC)And the meeting between Haley and the Grans was great! I'm happy to be seeing more of them. Haley took it all about as well as I expected her to.
Well done, bb! I enjoyed it muchly. *smooches*
(no subject)
Date: 2026-01-08 01:10 pm (UTC)also. i am glad that Haley made a point of asking Dare if she really understood what her decision to take Vicki up on her offer fully meant. because Vicki was an absolute stranger and Dare put her very life into that stranger's hand. but one of my goals is to get Dare to a point where she finds she can trust people easier. this was a step. which, again, is why the kindness of strangers ended up being so important. because she needs to know that not everyone is out to get her. that people being kind to her for no reason should be the rule, not the exception.
i have so much love for the Grans. to be honest, the idea of them started out as a joke. Dare wanders into their village and they make it their mission to set her up with one of their young men. but then they grew past that and i'm so glad they did. again, that nod to strangers and kindness. Haley kind of needed that gift, too. (probably all the girls do after everything, but that's another story).
i just want you to know that you will be seeing more of the Grans. in fact, i am so deep into this universe that i am going to be making a fucking guide to it. on paper. because my brain is a piece of shit and hates me and i am a masochist. we shall see how that goes. but the plan is to fully flesh out not only the Grans, but the members of Dare's team, too. and the universe. i have been tying the whole thing together in my mind for literally years now. might as well fully commit. (we won't talk about how my brain is being an absolute shit and suggesting to should make a bound copy of this thing. because it is not happening.)
i'm glad you enjoyed it, honey! <3