Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jawbone had never considered himself much of a role model for anyone. Most people who met him tended to agree, and he didn’t begrudge them much for that. He was a high-school dropout and a drug dealer, and his criminal record was nothing to sneeze at either.

Still, he tried. He never hurt anyone on purpose and frankly, his drug prices were extremely fair. What he considered his best trait had always been the ability to make the best of a bad situation, and he’d been doing it his entire life. Even getting infected with lycanthropy was just a bump in the road. A very large, slightly traumatic bump in the road, but just a bump nonetheless. 

Getting his niece dumped on him was… a bigger bump. 

“We don’t know how to deal with this!” His brother exclaimed, pointing at his bandaged arms. “We tried, we made an attempt, but we can’t handle it. It’s-” He inhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s not safe. For us, for her- you’ve been living with this shit for what, a decade now? You have to have a better idea of it than us.” 

“Richard…” Jawbone’s eyes flickered to the couch, where a young girl in her late pre-teens was sitting sullenly, legs pulled to her chest and eyes rimmed red. She had long bushy brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, and she wore a loose, baggy jumper that looked like it had been repaired a couple of times. 

There were duffel bags on the floor next to her, and a backpack on her back. 

“Please, Jawbone. We don’t know who else to turn to, we don’t know what to do.” His sister-in-law, a mostly pleasant woman named Rebecca, was standing behind her husband, her lip trembling. In terms of their station in life, Richard and Rebecca had been about two pegs above Jawbone. Above the poverty line, but only barely. 

“Me? You want to leave her with me?” Jawbone scratched the fur at the back of his neck. “There’s no… no healers or doctors that can help her?” 

“None that we can afford,” Richard said somberly. “You have a job, don’t you?”

He did. One that barely kept him fed and with a roof over his head. “But you live in Bastion City. Will you visit, can you-” 

“We will as much as you can, but you know how busy we are,” Richard said, taking one of Jawbone’s hands. “Jawbone, she’s our daughter. You can help her, teach her how to control it, at least enough that no one gets hurt. Otherwise, who knows what could happen to her. Please.” 

An uncontrolled werewolf could be a dangerous thing indeed, Jawbone knew that well enough. In Elmville, there was enough space for him to go somewhere secluded, where he knew he wouldn’t hurt anyone. In Bastion City, that was a lot more difficult. Rules could be a lot harsher for lycanthropes.

There was silence.

“How long?”

Richard and Rebecca exchanged a helpless glance. “We don’t know.” 

He looked again at his niece, who was obviously hanging on to every word they were saying, sniffling and rubbing her nose. 

“I’ll do my best. I promise.” He finally said. Richard hugged him tightly, and Rebecca nearly burst into tears. 

Their goodbye to their daughter was long and tear-filled, and Jawbone hung back, still trying to process exactly what he had just signed himself up for. Kids had never been on the agenda for him. At best, they were a very, very distant fantasy for some far-off land where he had a stable income. And at least one partner. 

But eventually, they left. And Jawbone knew he couldn’t leave the kid just sitting on his couch forever. He'd only seen her a handful of times in the past few years, they didn't have an extremely strong relationship despite their blood connection. This was important. 

“Hey Tracker.” He sat down next to her, with some distance between them. “How ya doing, kiddo?” 

Tracker looked up at him, her lower lip jutting out. “Fine.” 

“Are you sure about that? I won’t be upset if you’re not.” He chuckled lightly. “This is a pretty crazy situation.”

Tracker’s eyes welled up, and Jawbone immediately wished he could reset the entire conversation. “I want to go home. I don’t want to be a werewolf!”

“Woah, hey, hey-” Panicking slightly, Jawbone held his hands up, trying to calm her down. “It’s not all bad, you know?”

“Yes it is! I don’t know what I’m doing and I hurt people and I hurt my dad and now I have to stay here!” She buried her face into her knees.

“Hey, that’s just cause you’re not used to it yet! How long ago did you…” He tried to think of a way to word it that didn’t make it sound like a disease, which could just scare her more. “Become a werewolf?” 

“A month ago.” Tracker’s voice was muffled, and Jawbone placed an awkward hand on her back. 

“Well, hey, you’re handling it better than I did when I was a month in! And you’re even younger than I was!” 

There was a sniffle. Then a quiet voice. “Really?”

“Sure! You’re what, fifteen?” 

Tracker’s head popped up, her brow furrowing. “I’m twelve, Uncle Jawbone.” 

Jawbone gasped like he was truly shocked. “No, that can’t be right. That’d be even more impressive!” 

For a moment, he thought that perhaps he’d gone a little too cheesy. But then, the corner of Tracker’s mouth curled up. Only a twitch, only for a moment, but it was there. 

“In any case, you’re doing pretty great already by my standards. And you have me! It’s easier with someone else to help you out.” 

Tracker looked at him for a long moment, rubbing her eyes and wiping away her tears. “Dad said you stay like this all the time. Do I have to be a wolf all the time?” She gestured vaguely at him.

“Oh, no, this is more of a political statement.” He smiled, and Tracker looked at him, obviously not fully understanding. “Don’t worry, what I do is technically more work, I’m just used to it.” 

“Do… do you think I could learn to do that?” 

“Oh sure, if you wanted to! But first, why don’t we get you settled, huh?” 

His apartment was small, but he tried to keep it clean, which he was very thankful for at that moment. There were only a few rooms in the house, the main living area/kitchen, his bedroom, the bathroom, one very small second bedroom that he’d been using as a storeroom ever since his old roommate had disappeared one night after a killer party (he sent periodic updates at random times of the night, and was apparently doing quite well for himself, considering), and a third empty room that had also been used as a storeroom of things he was able to sell. He supposed he’d have to clean up the second bedroom and find an actual bed for it. But for today, his would have to do. 

“Is this your bedroom?” Tracker asked, carrying one of her duffel bags while Jawbone had the others.

“Usually, but tonight it’s yours.” He said, patting her lightly on the back. “Tomorrow, we’ll get you a bed of your own.” He wasn’t sure where he’d find the money, but he’d find it. Somehow.

Tracker looked apprehensive, and Jawbone began to worry. “Does it smell? Jeez, it has been a while since I’ve replaced the air freshener-”

“It doesn’t smell.” Tracker said, staring down at the floor. “It just- I can just sleep on the couch, it’s okay.” 

“No, no, Tracker, I insist, really. It’s a long drive from Bastion City, you’re probably all tuckered out.” 

“What if I- I transform or something in the night, and ruin your bed, or-” She shifted uncomfortably on her feet. “But then I might ruin your couch-”

“Hey, okay, let’s back it up a little.” Jawbone got down on one knee so that he was only a little taller than Tracker. “First of all, I don’t care if you break anything while transformed. It’s hard to control, I get that, I won’t blame you. I’ve broken pretty much everything in this apartment five times already, I’m pretty good at fixing things by now.”

He winked, and didn’t get a smile in return like he had hoped, but Tracker was listening. 

“Second of all, you’re transforming in the middle of the night? Even when it’s not a full moon?” He tilted his head slightly, and Tracker nodded. “Are you having nightmares?”

She nodded again, and Jawbone thought for a moment. In the early days of being a werewolf, before they got it under control, it was common for extreme emotions (fear and anger, mainly) to trigger a half-transformation of sorts. Not into a full werewolf, but more than enough to cause some damage. He’d dealt with it mainly through lots of hard drugs until he figured things out, but he didn’t think that was quite appropriate for a twelve-year-old. He'd have to find something else. 

“Okay. We’ll find something to help you with that. But for tonight, just try not to worry about breaking anything. If anything does happen, I’ll be there to make sure you don’t get hurt, alright? Have you had dinner yet?” 

She nodded, and Jawbone made sure she had something else to eat before she went to bed anyway. 

It was the start of what Jawbone had silently hoped would be a temporary situation, but it soon became clear that Tracker would have to stay with him for a long time. Contracting lycanthropy was… an adventure in the best of scenarios, and contracting it as a child was just even more complicated. Learning how to control it took a long time, even with his help. 

Her parents visited every few months, and called once a week or so, at least at first. Slowly the visits and calls got more spread out, even though Jawbone begged them not to do that to her. They felt guilty, about their own failures, about letting it happen in the first place, and Jawbone understood. He didn’t like it, but he understood, and he hoped that as time went on, things would get better. They would send him a small amount of money every month to help out, and that at least was always consistent. 

Then there was a train accident when Tracker was fourteen and, well, who else was going to be her guardian? 

It was harder after that, he wasn’t afraid to admit it. Life for people like them was a balancing act to begin with and… he wasn’t perfect. He tried to be what she needed, but beyond helping her with werewolf things he was woefully unprepared. He wasn’t able to keep her in school, not after he lost his job again, not when it was so difficult to find a new one. He didn’t want her to think that being a drug dealer was a good career choice, but if it meant he was able to keep her safe, keep the apartment, keep food on their shelves, some days that was the best he could do. 

It was Tracker who pointed him towards the Black Pit, was able to convince the owner that having a half-shifted werewolf for a bouncer would surely be more effective than a regular muscle-bound dude. Not to mention how cool it would be for the edgy teenagers and young adults that frequented the joint. 

They took care of each other, in different ways. She’d always been more charismatic than him. 

Then one night a gang of adventuring teens ran in and more or less ruined the place, ending the night by suggesting he apply for a job at their school. Considering he’d attacked one of their members, it was very polite of them.

He got a job as a counsellor and even though he technically didn’t have the proper qualifications, or any qualifications, he was determined to do his best. 

“It’ll be a new start, Tracker.” He’d said the night after he got the job, celebrating with her curled under a blanket with a tub of ice cream watching a movie, both of them still exhausted and queasy after their forced transformation the previous night. 

Tracker just groaned into her pillow, the same as she’d been doing for almost the whole day. 

“Hey, come on, I’m sure your date won’t hold it against you!” Jawbone put an arm around her and squeezed.

“I attacked her! This is the worst and I can never look at her again.” 

“Now, I know that’s the ice cream talking.” He said, and Tracker just groaned again. 

“If you explain she’ll understand! They all seemed like really nice kids.” 

Tracker’s unconvinced grumbles were muffled, but Jawbone knew she’d be over it by the morning, ready to tackle it head-on. She was resilient like that, the same as him. Sure enough, after a few minutes, she’d looked up, enjoying some of the ice cream with an exaggeratedly dejected pout on her face, before talking.

“How much of a raise is it again?” 

“A lot more than what I made as a bouncer.” He chuckled, and Tracker smiled despite herself. “We might be able to get a bigger apartment! Probably just on a different floor, but still!”

“You just need to get a psychology degree like, overnight.” 

“I checked out some books from the library, that’s a start, right?” He laughed, and Tracker rolled her eyes.

“Those kids are so fucked.” 

“Oh, you don’t think your uncle can do it?” 

“Nah, you’ll be great.” Tracker snuggled deeper under the blanket, more or less stealing the rest of the ice cream from him. “Just don’t try to be a counsellor to me, I would not be able to take you seriously.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Jawbone said, turning his attention back to the movie but only able to hold it for another minute or so. “Do you think I should buy a tie? Counsellors wear ties, don’t they?”

“If they hired you without a tie, I really don’t think they care.” 

“You’re right, you’re right.” Jawbone sighed. His first day on the job was tomorrow, he’d already torn through his closet (not literally) for his nicest set of clothes, he’d even polished his shoes. He was always nervous before starting new jobs, mostly because the first few days were the most likely times for him to get fired from said new jobs, but this one was different. It was the fanciest job he’d ever had, and definitely the one with the highest paycheck. Aguefort Adventuring Academy… that was prestigious. He was just… Jawbone. 

“A new start, huh?” Tracker murmured after another ten minutes or so of watching the movie, curled into his side. “It’s exciting.” 

“Yeah. Funny to think it’s all because a bunch of kids suggested it to me. I suppose it’s the second time a kid has changed my life.” It was the kind of sappiness that he knew she would be exasperated by, and sure enough, she rolled her eyes again and groaned theatrically while he snickered. 

“You’re such a dork.” She said, though she didn’t protest when Jawbone quickly kissed the top of her head. “Don’t you need to wake up early tomorrow, Mr. Counsellor?” 

“That’s Dr. Counsellor to you.”

“It absolutely is not.”

He couldn’t hold back his laughter, and after a few seconds, she couldn’t either, eventually digging into the ice cream to stop themselves. They settled in to finish the rest of the movie, of which they’d not been paying attention for half the run time and were extremely lost. But Jawbone didn’t mind, because he had his niece and he had a new job and things were looking up. A new start indeed.

Chapter Text

Adaine’s arrival in his apartment was almost as hasty as Tracker’s, albeit under entirely different circumstances. The aftermath of prom was a messy one, and there were many casualties left in its wake, in multiple forms. 

One of those casualties, the Abernant family home and the disappearance of nearly all who resided in it, left the sole remaining member of the family still in Solace effectively homeless. And more or less orphaned. 

Jawbone had offered Adaine a place to stay in his home as a bit of a heat of the moment decision, to be honest. They were in the middle of a fight, she’d just been coming out of a panic attack, a lot was happening. But afterwards, he made the offer again, just to make sure she knew it was genuine, and she accepted, only asking if he could wait so she could collect her belongings that had been left in her locker prior to being arrested.

Almost all of it fit into a single backpack, and it was all she had that wasn’t currently ash.

She was quiet on the trip home, and Jawbone knew from the few counselling sessions he’d had with her prior to her being arrested that silence meant she was either concentrating very hard on something, or she was worrying very much about something. Or both. But her breathing was steady, and it had been a long day, so he figured now was not the time to be ‘the counsellor’. 

When they got home, Tracker was already there, standing up from the couch when they walked in.

“Jawbone, Kristen texted me about what happened, are you alr-” She cut herself off sharply when she noticed Adaine. “Oh, Adaine, hi.” 

“Hello,” Adaine said quietly. “My house burned down, so,” 

“She’ll be staying with us for a while.” Jawbone finished. “Good thing we got that new foldout couch, right?” 

“Oh, yeah. Sure! Kristen told me shit got crazy but she didn’t tell me that!” Tracker looked more concerned than anything, looking them both up and down for injuries and relaxing a little after she found none. 

“A lot was happening.” Adaine shrugged. “That really wasn’t the most important thing.” 

“Still, pretty intense.” Jawbone said. “Come on, let’s get you settled, we can start thinking about dinner.” 

Adaine flat-out refused to take anything but the fold-out couch, almost scandalised at the idea of pushing either Jawbone or Tracker out of their beds (though they both offered). She did choose what takeout they would get for dinner after Jawbone suggested she choose her favourite, though she remained quite subdued the entire meal. With no pyjamas on her at the time she borrowed some from Tracker, apologising for it as if she should have been prepared for her house being burned down. 

“How long is Adaine gonna be staying with us?” Tracker whispered to him while Adaine was in the bathroom. 

“I don’t know.” Jawbone admitted. “It’s supposed to be temporary, but the only other place I can imagine she could go is one of her friends' houses, and from my understanding, most of their homes are pretty destroyed as well.” 

“Her parents just left?” Tracker asked, and when Jawbone nodded, she growled. “Assholes.” 

He put a hand on her shoulder. “Yeah, I don’t disagree. We’ll just take this one day at a time.” 

Tracker nodded, though her brow was still furrowed like she was concerned about something. “Okay. You need me to do anything?” 

“Be a friend, I think.” Jawbone said, giving her a half-smile. “She could always use more of those.”

Tracker soon excused herself to her room to take an update call from Kristen, who was staying with Fig for the night, and eventually Adaine exited the bathroom, poking her head out the door as if to make sure the way was clear before tip-toeing over to the pullout bed, which Jawbone had set up for her with some spare blankets and pillows. 

“Thank you for letting me stay,” Adaine perched on the edge of the bed, not yet disturbing the sheets. “I know it’s probably a bother.” 

“Not a bother at all, Adaine. You’ve been through a lot, you deserve a good night’s sleep.” He paused. “Or trance. You don’t need something special for trancing, do you?” 

She shook her head. “A bed is fine.” Now it was her turn to pause. “I mean, technically we can do it sitting up, but I usually don’t. But that would probably be a lot easier for everyone so I can fold this back up again if you want-” 

“Adaine, don’t worry. Whatever is most comfortable for you is easiest for me, okay?” Jawbone said quickly, before Adaine got ahead of herself. 

Adaine bit her lip, but nodded once. “Okay. Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome.” Jawbone folded up the list he’d been writing of things he’d need to go out and buy the next day and tucked it into a pocket, walking the short distance to the back of the couch. “You feeling okay?” 

She nodded and hummed an affirmation, but the quick aversion of her head made the sincerity of it dubious. One eyebrow raised since Adaine wasn’t looking at him, he walked around and sat on the arm of the couch. “You sure? It’s alright if you’re not.”

“I know. It’s just… I do feel fine. Relatively. Earlier today I nearly died, so this is pretty good in comparison.” She pulled at the sleeves of her shirt, one of Tracker’s baggiest since Adaine was a good few inches taller than her. 

Jawbone nodded, leaving the space open for Adaine to continue, and after a moment, she did.

“I’m still processing it all, I guess. We were in jail yesterday. Or the day before. Or this morning. I don’t know, time was stopped for eight hours.” 

“That’s alright. Sometimes it takes time for things to really sink in. Days, months, years even.” Jawbone said. 

Adaine didn’t respond, picking up her jacket where she had left it neatly folded on top of her backpack. She dug in one of the pockets for a moment before pulling out the bottle of pills that Jawbone had given her. “Thank you for these, too.”

“You’re welcome again. Did they help?” 

She nodded, her eyes flickering up to him. “Will I have to take them every day now?” 

“Not necessarily. They helped as an improvised fix in a very high-stress situation, but that’s not exactly the best way to test new medication.” Jawbone smiled awkwardly. “I can get you connected with a psychiatrist, get you an official diagnosis, and then there’ll be a few options out there for you to try.” 

“So it might not help forever?” Adaine looked down at the little pill bottle again. 

“I don’t mean that. I just mean that sometimes it takes a little while to find the medication that works the best for you . There could be some you take every day just to keep your general anxiety levels down, and then some you only take if you know you’re going to be in a high-stress situation, or if you start feeling a panic attack coming on, or something else. It’ll just take some time and patience.” 

“Okay.” Adaine exhaled, closing her eyes before opening them again on the inhale and putting the bottle away. “Thank you. Again. I’m thanking you so much, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, Adaine. I appreciate the gratitude, but it’s really the least I can do. You should get some rest.” 

Adaine nodded, opening her mouth as if to thank him again before thinking better of it, and eventually just saying, “I only really need to trance for about four hours, so I’ll try not to wake you and Tracker up afterwards, I’ll just try to get some extra rest.”

“You can do whatever you need to do, Adaine, don’t worry about us. We sleep like dogs.” He grinned goofily at his joke, and after a moment of blank, almost disbelieving staring, Adaine cracked a smile, which Jawbone chalked up as a solid win. 

The next few weeks were an exercise in paying attention to details. School was effectively over for the year, which meant Jawbone had plenty of free time to make sure his newest charge was taken care of, which Adaine resisted almost every step of the way.

Not resisted as in put up a fight, but resisted as in she tried to quietly make an argument against almost every single extra thing Jawbone would buy for her beyond the bare essentials. When they went shopping for some new clothes, she picked out exactly four outfits and called it a day, and that was after being bargained up from two. It took a week before she asked Jawbone for something without him or Tracker suggesting it first, and in general, she was such a perfect resident that often it seemed like there were still only two people living the apartment. Which wasn't what Jawbone wanted at all. 

Still, he couldn't exactly tell her off for being neat and polite. She would fold up the couch bed every morning and only set it out again right before she went to bed (a few hours after Jawbone and Tracker did), and kept most of her belongings piled up neatly in a corner until Jawbone set up the storeroom as a bedroom for her, where she graduated to keeping everything in the chest of drawers he found, leaving the rest of the room almost spotless. She would eat at meals but never take any snacks throughout the day if she wasn’t out with the rest of her friends enjoying their rightfully earned vacation and freedom.

According to Tracker, who was on a fair amount of those outings, everyone, including Adaine, seemed in quite high spirits. She was just extremely careful whenever she was in the apartment. Jawbone had an inkling of the reason why, but took some time to figure out the best way to approach it. 

He waited until a time where Tracker was out of the house, to avoid possible fears over someone overhearing their conversation. It had been a calm, sunny day, most of which Adaine had spent out with her friends on a seemingly pleasant outing. 

“How are you feeling today?” He asked almost every day, mostly because they were still in a phase of testing out different medications for her anxiety. He’d been researching all kinds of solutions, including different therapy techniques, breathing exercises, and even magical means of anxiety relief, but thus far they’d been having mixed results.

“Pretty good, I think.” Adaine said, shrugging lightly. They were both in the kitchen preparing dinner, ready for when Tracker would be home in a half-hour or so.

“Any dizziness or headaches?” 

“Only a little.” She shrugged again, her tone of voice just a little too light.

“Are you sure?”

There was a silence but for the crackling of the food cooking in the frying pan, and eventually, Adaine spoke again. “Not as bad as the last ones.” 

“But still disruptive?” He pressed, careful not to keep his voice even. Adaine nodded. 

Jawbone paused over the chopping board where he’d been cutting up the chicken for their dinner, putting down the knife and turning to face Adaine, who was now focused very intently on their cooking vegetables, even though they required very little monitoring. “You can tell me about the side effects.” 

“I know, but they’re not as bad, so-” She cut herself off and didn’t continue even when Jawbone left the conversation open for her to do so. 

“Are you worried about trying another batch?” He asked.

“No, it’s just- it’s so much work and you’re busy and these ones do work kinda well so, you know…” 

“So you’re okay with just settling with what you’ve got? I don’t mind putting in the work for you, I want to help you.” Jawbone said. 

“I know, but you already help me with so much, and I know needing help isn't bad, but if I keep having to try new ones it could take so long and that's extra work for you-” She hesitated, her shoulders stiff. “I don’t want to make it harder.” 

“Adaine, this is my job. Even if it weren’t my job, you deserve the opportunity to find the meds that work best for you, even if it takes a while. You’re allowed to look for ways to make your life better.” He paused, before deciding that perhaps this was the time to take the plunge. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but did your parents make you feel like you couldn’t take up space? To be ambitious?” 

Adaine said nothing for a long second, and finally she turned. “... No, they wanted me to be ambitious. They had ambitions, and I could have ambitions that were the same. Which I suppose is similar to what you said.” 

“Okay.” Jawbone nodded, trying to carefully process that, let its implications settle into everything else he knew about Adaine. “Those aren’t healthy expectations for a child.” 

She nodded like she already knew that, but was almost disappointed at having it confirmed, like another tick in the box of ways her parents had damaged her. He knew about that feeling because she’d said as much during one of his slightly more formal ‘therapy’ sessions he had with her once a week. She had another therapist she could go see if she wanted to talk to someone she didn’t currently live with, but generally, she didn’t mind talking to him. 

“You can exercise your freedom here, Adaine. Leave your jacket laying around your room, take some snacks without asking, drink the last of the milk. Get comfortable.” 

Adaine snorted, half-turning so that she could watch the vegetables again and conveniently stop looking at him. “That will make me feel better?”

“It might help you feel more secure. Make this apartment feel more like home.” He smiled, gesturing around the apartment. “You’re not just a houseguest.” 

“I technically am,” Adaine said, a little snarkily. 

“Well, you don’t have to be.” 

Now Adaine slowly tilted her head towards him, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. “What do you mean?” 

“You’re an unaccompanied minor in a foreign country, which can make things very tricky even if your status as an Aguefort Adventuring Academy student grants you some free reign here in Elmville. Technically, your parents could demand you be sent back at Fallinel at any time. It would be difficult since they also technically abandoned you, but theoretically, they could do it.” Adaine’s face fell into a solemn, determined frown.

“I’m not going back to Fallinel or my parents.” 

“I know. I don’t think it would be a very good idea for you either.” Jawbone said, his voice serious. “But, there’s a solution. If you have a legal guardian here in Solace that you want to stay with, it will be far more difficult for your parents to try and get you back.”

Silence reigned for a moment, and Adaine just stared at him, so he kept going. 

“So, here’s my suggestion for you. You don’t have to take it, and we can keep going as we’re going now, but, I could be your legal guardian-”

“Yes.” 

Jawbone blinked, and he saw a brief moment of panic on Adaine’s face.

“Please.” 

“Are you sure? You can take some time to think about it-”

“I’m sure. I want to stay here.” Blood was rushing to her cheeks. “These have been some of the best weeks of my life.” 

Jawbone blinked again, an incredulous smile spreading on his face. “Well, alright then. We can start getting the paperwork sorted tomorrow.” 

Adaine nodded, and after a moment of hesitation, crossed the few feet between them and threw her arms around him. It was surprising, but he quickly relaxed, lightly returning the hug and patting her on the back. 

She pulled back, brushing hair behind her ears and looking slightly embarrassed. “Thank you.” 

“It’s no problem, Adaine.”

Chapter Text

Kristen was the first time he really got to consider inviting a kid to stay with him for more than a few minutes before he made the offer. 

Tracker was the one to suggest it a few days after Adaine’s paperwork was finalised, since up until then Kristen had been staying with Sandra Lynn and Fig, which wasn’t exactly sustainable considering their house was still under repairs. They had the room, and Jawbone’s income from the school (plus hazard pay for fighting the vice-principal) was good enough that he could afford it, and their couch bed was free again, so why not?

Jawbone knew that if Kristen stayed with them she’d probably end up spending more nights in Tracker’s room than on the couch bed, but his niece made some good points. 

So he brought it up to Sandra Lynn a couple nights later on a date night, and then to Kristen herself the next day. 

He got a very enthusiastic yes in response, and by that night, her bags were packed.

“Oh, thanks so much Jawbone, this is awesome, it’s like a sleepover that never ends, which is kind of like what it was like with Fig too, but now I’ve got my friend and my girlfriend so it’s even better, cause I was kind of worried about getting lonely after you leave for your tour-” Kristen gushed for basically an entire day, much to his amusement. 

“I don’t know if I should feel offended or not.” Fig stuck her tongue out at Kristen while Tracker and Adaine grinned, having accompanied her mother to the apartment for the official switch over. 

“Come on, Fig, you know I love you, but it will be nice to have a house with no holes in the wall.” Kristen threw an arm around Fig, who rolled her eyes.

“Plus, you could always stay over sometimes too when you get back.” Tracker suggested, which Fig quickly agreed to. 

“You think you can handle three teenage girls?” Sandra Lynn and Jawbone were standing off to the side while the girls chatted. 

“Sure I can. I can always ask you for advice, can’t I?” 

Sandra Lynn smirked a little, glancing at the girls. “I don’t know if my parental advice would be very helpful.” 

“Well, I’ve been managing with two teenage girls pretty well. And Kristen’s been hanging out half the week regardless, I think I’m well prepared for her.” He smiled, squeezing her hand and stealing a kiss.

“Hmm. In any case, I need to head home.” She pulled away. “Fig, didn’t you want to see your father?” 

Fig’s head popped up from where she and the others had been poring over someone’s crystal, and she jumped to her feet. “Oh, yeah! And Riz, can we visit Riz?” 

“Why doesn’t everyone just move into this apartment building, then we’ll all really be together.” Kristen drawled, a goofy grin on her face. 

“Fabian would never.” Adaine hid her smile with a hand, and the subsequent goodbye to Sandra Lynn and Fig was soon underway. 

The three girls took care of themselves for the rest of the evening, Kristen already well aware of where everything was from previous overnight visits. Dinner was more raucous than it had been in a while, and it was easy to get caught up in Kristen’s quick and energetic chatter, babbling on about her new church, the missions trips she wanted to go on, the kinds of classes she wanted to take the next year, even random new hobbies she was thinking of picking up to keep herself entertained. 

Eventually, he shunted them all off to their rooms or couch, though he wasn’t naive enough to think Kristen wasn’t going to sneak into Tracker’s room at some point in the middle of the night. He knew they were both smart and safe, so he wasn’t worried about that, but he knew part of the fun for the two of them (or at least Kristen) was pretending like they were doing something secret and disallowed so he didn’t say anything about it. 

For the first few days, things went almost unerringly smoothly. It was actually nearly impossible for him to catch Kristen by herself, since during the day she was either out with her friends, Tracker, or on some self-imposed mission for her new church or just personal entertainment, and in the apartment either Tracker or Adaine tended to be around. She made herself at home almost immediately, half her belongings strewn in Tracker’s room and the rest in another chest of drawers set up in the living room that all four of them had clumsily built together over an afternoon. Adaine was really the only reason that didn’t fall apart. 

All of them were busy, but Kristen was practically a workaholic. Either that, or she was avoiding him. After a week or so, Jawbone began to wonder about it. 

He finally got an opportunity one early morning, about a week and a half after Kristen had first moved in. It was a day after a full moon, so Kristen had been relegated to her couch bed so Tracker could sleep as much as possible without being disturbed, and Jawbone was up early, his sleep schedule always disrupted for a few days after a full transformation. 

Cracking his neck as he left his bedroom, Jawbone was a little surprised to see Kristen tossing and turning on the couch bed, only to freeze when Jawbone’s door creaked. 

“Kristen? Is that you?” Jawbone whispered, wary that Adaine might be awake at this hour.

After a few moments of heavy silence, Kristen’s face peeked up from below the back of the couch, squinting in the darkness, her hair a frizzy mess. “Hi.” 

“You sleepin alright there?” Jawbone brushed back some of the fur out of his eyes, flicking on a lamp to illuminate the living room so Kristen could see. 

“Uh, yeah. Just, gettin comfy, you know.” Kristen pulled herself up into a sitting position.

Jawbone briefly looked towards the clock hanging on the wall. “It’s 4am, Kristen.”

Kristen blinked blearily at him. “Oh.”

“Have you slept at all tonight?” 

“Yeah, sure. I slept for a while, and then I woke up, and then I slept again a little bit-” She rubbed at her eyes in an obvious attempt to seem alert and well-rested. “Just a weird night, you know? I-I actually think it’s a sign.”

“A sign of what?” 

“Of… something divine…” She flashed a shit-eating grin at him. “You know, like my god is trying to tell me something.”

Jawbone nodded slowly, still feeling a little drowsy. He wasn’t sure whether he believed her, but to be honest, his understanding of clerics and gods and how that all worked was a bit limited, at least when it came to Kristen. Tracker was better suited at helping her with that kind of stuff. 

“Alright. How do you think you’re settling in? The bed’s not too lumpy?” 

“No, it’s great!” Kristen perked up a little, both of them still speaking in that quiet ‘almost-whispering-but-not-quite’ tone. “It’s totally awesome, don’t worry about it, I love it here.”

“That’s good. You can tell me if you want something, you know?” 

“Yeah, I know. I’m all good.” She seemed genuine, not just saying what she thought he wanted her to hear, but Jawbone had a feeling that there was something else, something he hadn’t quite hit yet. 

“Alright.” Scratching the back of his neck, Jawbone glanced towards the kitchen. “Would you like some tea? It might help you get back to sleep.” 

There was an abundance of tea and coffee in the house now, though mostly the very specific brands that Adaine was a fan of, since Jawbone tended towards a caffeine abomination that most normal humans would struggle to get down, and Tracker preferred energy drinks and soda. 

“Oh, uh, I don’t think I’ll go back to sleep again. 4am, it’s basically morning, right? Not much point.” Kristen chuckled to herself, her voice trailing off a little towards the end. “But I have been researching some different coffees, so I would not mind trying some of them out.”

She smiled a little and got off the couch bed, walking around to get to the kitchen and rummaging through their cabinets for the tin of espresso. Jawbone made some tea for himself, offering to help Kristen with her drinks, but she waved off the assistance, determined to figure it out herself. 

Eventually she sat down at the dining table with four or so different kinds of coffees, taking sips of each before grimacing. 

“Ugh- okay, that was a mistake.” She scowled, pushing the cups away from her. “Should not have let the espresso sit that long, the internet lied to me.” 

“I can still make you some tea.”

“No, no, I’m good, it’s great.” She rested her head on her arms on the table, groaning lightly. “I can just live with my mistakes.” 

She was joking, but Jawbone couldn’t help raising an eyebrow anyway. As if sensing it, Kristen tilted her head up, brows furrowing when she saw it. 

“Is something wrong?” 

Kristen sat up straighter in her chair again, pursing her lips together. “No.” 

“Are you sure? You seem to be doing great, but I can’t help feeling like you’re almost avoiding me.”

Her eyes widened, and Kristen chuckled nervously, grabbing one of the failed coffees and taking a long sip before remembering that it was disgusting and nearly choking on it. “Pft- oh jeez-”

“Kristen-” Jawbone made to stand up, and Kristen held up a hand, wiping her mouth with the sleep of her pyjama shirts.

“Oh gross, okay- hold on. I-” She recovered herself, clearing her throat and plastering on an awkward smile. “What would- what would make you think that?”

“I think this is maybe the first time we’ve really been able to hang out together since you got here, just the two of us. I know I’m not the most exciting person around-”

“What? No, you’re awesome, Jawbone!” Kristin frowned. “You’re really cool. I’m just- so busy, you know, with YES! and Tracker and the Bad Kids, there’s so much going on, you know? And I know you’re helping Adaine out with her anxiety and everything but I don’t need any of that so-”

“Don’t need any… help?” He tilted his head, curious and confused. 

Kristen immediately began to backpedal, her cheeks flushed. “I mean, you’re already helping me, you know! I don’t want to bother you with anything, you’re probably busy-” Okay, now he was very confused, and quickly losing control of this conversation. 

“Kristen, slow down for a sec for me, I’m not upset.” He held up a hand, and Kristen quieted, giving him a moment to really try and think. “Is there something about me that makes you uncomfortable? I won’t be offended, I promise.” 

There was a long moment where she didn’t say anything, biting her lip and glancing over her shoulder to the doors to Tracker and Adaine’s rooms. “I- I don’t want to do… this.” She gestured vaguely between the two of them. 

“You… don’t want us to talk?” Jawbone blinked, and Kristen grimaced again.

“No- that’s not it. It’s just… you’re a guidance counsellor. I don’t-”

“You don’t want me to be a guidance counsellor for you?” That was an odd concept. 

“That sounds really mean, doesn’t it?” Kristen sighed. “I just haven’t had… a very good track record when it comes to mentors, I guess. Adults telling me the right things to do and think… Ugh, that sounds dumb.” 

“Hey, it’s alright, I can work with this.” Jawbone stroked his chin, trying to think. “I hope I haven’t given the impression of telling you what to do and think so far.”

“No, you’ve been great.” Kristen was quick to say, brushing her hair out of her face. “Which is why it’s kinda stupid.” 

“Feelings aren’t stupid, Kristen. If you’ve had bad experiences, it’s natural to feel wary even if you know better. It can be frustrating, but it happens.” Jawbone paused. “Is that too guidance counsellor-y?” 

One half of Kristen’s mouth quirked up, and she shook her head, considering something. “No. That’s fine. Even though you’ve been super guidance counsellor-y.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Jawbone relaxed. “How about this, then. You can still ask me for advice or anything anytime you want, that’ll always be open. But I’ll try not to offer it unless you’re doing something really dangerous, how does that feel?” 

“I like that.” Kristen nodded, her smile growing a little. “And, uh, since we’re already talking, you know how you became Adaine’s legal guardian?” 

Jawbone nodded, taking a sip of his tea, which had gone slightly cold. 

“Are you able to do that for me too?” 

He paused. “I mean, sure I can. Is there something you’re worried about or?”

Kristen scratched loosely at her arms, humming for a moment before continuing. “I’m… not sure. My parents haven’t really… talked to me since they got attacked, but- I mean, technically they’re still my legal guardians, right? I- I don’t think I want them to be anymore.” 

“Well, your parents still live in town so it might take a bit longer than Adaine’s did, but I’d be happy to do it.” Jawbone smiled. Kristen returned it, settling down in her chair and looking at the coffee cups in front of her.

“I should probably clean these up. Do- do you know which of Adaine’s teas are the nicest?” 

“I know which ones she doesn’t mind us using.” Jawbone stood up, picking up one of Kristen’s failed coffees with his free hand and walking to the kitchen. Kristen followed with the remaining cups, and the two of them washed them out as quietly as they could manage, eventually settling down again with two fresh, piping hot cups of tea. 

As he’d thought, it was slightly more complicated to become Kristen’s legal guardian. With Adaine it had at least been far easier to prove that her parents were no longer present, able and willing to care for her. For Kristen, her parents either had to agree, or they’d have to go through a far lengthier battle in the courts. Her parents kicked up a bit of a fuss before eventually agreeing, with the Harvestmen debacle helping Jawbone’s case. 

But after another few weeks, it was official, and Jawbone had never seen Kristen more relaxed. She was still remarkably busy, but it didn’t seem as frantic as it had been before, as if she were compensating for something. Even her minor crises of faith (which Jawbone only heard bits and pieces about from Kristen and Tracker) seemed more easily managed, as she slowly muddled through the intricacies of creating her own god and religion. 

Jawbone, for the most part, cheered her on from the sidelines, happy to stay away from her realm of expertise, and confident that Tracker was wise enough to help with clerical issues anyway. In any case, he had his own life to deal with, mostly in regards to his dating life. 

Things with Sandra Lynn were getting serious, and the two of them were discussing moving in together. The only problem was, Fig would be coming along too, and Jawbone’s apartment definitely was not big enough for two adults and four teenagers. Even as it was things were starting to feel crowded. And Sandra Lynn’s home, even if it were fully repaired, wasn’t big enough for them all either. 

So Jawbone and Sandra Lynn, both separately and together, spent the end of the holidays and the beginning of the school year hunting around Elmville for another option. And halfway through the first term, he sat all three girls down at the dining table and told them the news. They were, rather predictably, most excited about getting to live with Fig as well.

Chapter Text

It was quiet in Mordred Manor, considering every single resident bar Jawbone was busy tracking down the crown of the Nightmare King, running across oceans and getting themselves into who knew what kind of trouble. 

He wouldn’t say he’d been worried about them, he knew exactly how competent all the girls and their friends were, and with Sandra Lynn, Cathilda and even Gilear with them they had plenty of support. It was a dangerous mission, that was for sure, but they were capable and ready to rise to the challenge. 

Jawbone had been confident in that, even after they’d left Solace and all contact had gone dark, at least until some sending messages from Adaine… and then one from Sandra Lynn, had popped up. They’d been fairly light on details of what exactly they were doing since the messages Jawbone had received had mostly been about… well, he’d been able to have a very long conversation with Sandra Lynn about it. 

That had been distressing on an emotional level, but at least the kids weren’t really involved. Then Cathilda returned home with Hillariel, and she filled in all the parents on some of the stories of what was going on with the Bad Kids and their hirelings. 

Okay, so now he was rather worried about them. Cathilda was optimistic but didn’t hide anything. Near-death experiences (or actual-death experiences) were par for the course for adventurers, but getting kidnapped by Fallinel? A mysterious creature that only some people could see? Whatever the hell a Chungledown Bim was? Everything was clearly a lot deeper than they originally expected. 

Still, there wasn’t much Jawbone could do about it, not from where he was. So he kept on cleaning up Mordred Manor, trying not to think about it. When they got back, it was going to be spotless. Or at least of a level of cleanliness that was achievable by one werewolf working mostly by himself. Reasonable expectations were always important. 

Except he wasn’t quite the only resident of Mordred Manor still there. The only living one, perhaps, but not the only one. 

And he’d been increasingly aware of their resident ghost these past few hours, hovering over his shoulder and seeming to grow closer with every passing minute. 

“You’re not normally quite so interested in dusting, Zayn.” Jawbone finally broke the silence, snapping his head to the side before Zayn could disappear into the bookcase he’d been peering out of.

Sighing at being caught, Zayn emerged fully from the bookcase, hovering languidly and slouching, arms crossed across his chest. Jawbone hadn’t been quite sure what to make of Zayn when Adaine had first invited him to haunt their house, but who was he to say no? Most of the time, Jawbone hardly saw him, and since Adaine and the others had left on their adventure, Zayn seemed to spend most of his time in the cemetery or at the top of Adaine’s tower, writing poetry or simply brooding. 

Jawbone had invited him in for a chat a couple of times, but since Zayn seemed to quite enjoy his brooding, he mostly left him to it. He wasn’t sure if enjoying brooding actually made it brooding anymore, but sometimes the particular machinations of teenagers, even ghostly teenagers, were not for him to understand. 

So for Zayn to be haunting the lower area of the house for once, even following him around as Jawbone was certain he had been for the past few hours, that was unusual. 

“I can sense your unease and dread from the gravestones,” Zayn said, the fingers on one of his hands twitching. “It’s disturbing.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry about that.” Jawbone said, before thinking another moment. “You can sense it?” 

Zayn huffed lightly, tossing his head back with a sly half-smile on his face. “It’s a talent. Well, technically I think it’s a side effect of being bound to this manor, with you as a resident.” 

“Huh, that’s very fascinating.” Jawbone said, and Zayn fixed him with a look, brows furrowing. 

“So what’s going on? What could have happened to fill the entire manor with such negative emotion?” He asked, and Jawbone raised an eyebrow.

“That sounds a bit exaggerated.”

Zayn shrugged, unapologetic. “Perhaps a little.”

Jawbone sighed, putting down the cloth he’d been using to wipe down an old wooden chest of drawers. Zayn was friends with these kids too, he deserved to know at least some of it. “Cathilda came back from the mission yesterday. I suppose I’ve been dwelling on it.” 

Floating a little closer, Zayn perked up. “The mission? Did something happen?” 

“A few things.” Jawbone scratched the back of his neck. “They’re all alright and together now, but Fabian apparently had a bad few days, and Fallinel sent elves after Adaine. Her father was with them, apparently. Held her captive for a day or two. That was the most recent mishap.”

Zayn stiffened, and might’ve paled if he weren’t already a literal ghost, his frown deepening. “They kidnapped her? They didn’t think they could force her to be their Elven Oracle like that, did they?” 

“I think they thought that having her in their borders, even in prison, was better than not having her at all.” Jawbone folded his arms, holding back a scowl at the thought of it. In Solace, diplomatic relations with Fallinel were still tense enough that the elves generally didn’t want to risk a kidnapping within its borders, but he hadn’t considered them trying it while Adaine was out on her mission. “The others all rescued her, so she’s safe now, and apparently they all did enough damage that they probably won’t try it again anytime soon.” 

“Good.” Zayn scoffed, his voice icy. “Officials always think they can just do as they please.” 

“She’ll be alright.” Jawbone said.

“Of course she will,” Zayn grumbled, though he still appeared troubled by the news. A chill ran down Jawbone’s spine, as if the temperature itself dropped a few degrees, and he straightened up.

“Well, I don’t want to be responsible for a general sense of dread around the house. I think a distraction is in order, don’t you?” He said. “What were you doing before I interrupted you?” 

Zayn hummed thoughtfully for a moment, his fingers tapping the side of his arm. “Oh, the usual. Conversing with the spirits of the dead. Their conversation isn’t always as entertaining as Adaine’s, but it’s interesting.”

“That sounds fascinating. Do you think the spirits would mind if I sat in?” 

Zayn raised an eyebrow, staring at him for a long moment. “You wouldn’t be able to see or speak to them.” 

Jawbone just nodded, pushing away the myriad of questions he had about Zayn’s entire current existence. He could ask, but he knew he wouldn’t get answers. Zayn enjoyed the mystique. “I figured. Perhaps you could pass on questions for me.”

In truth, he’d always wondered about Zayn. He hadn’t had many opportunities to see him prior to his death, and he would have imagined that to be rather traumatic, but Adaine had remarked to him once that Zayn seemed happier as a ghost. Something about being free from the trappings of a meaningless existence. 

He was a fascinating kid, and with none of the others around to take his attention with their more dramatic antics, he had an opportunity to get to know him. 

“Hmm.” Zayn seemed just as intrigued by the possibility, hovering in place for a moment before nodding. “A new perspective...  very well then. You have allowed me to haunt your home, I suppose it is fair enough.” 

“Hey, a friend of one of my kids is a friend of mine.” He said, before hesitating. He’d never really called all of them his kids out loud before. It was strange, but nice. He certainly seemed to be collecting them. 

The cemetery wasn’t a place that Jawbone had spent a lot of time in. Neglected in the clean-up and repairs that he’d done so far, it was overgrown, with moss and lichen growing over weathered tombstones and weeds and dandelions pushing up out of the dirt.

Jawbone tried to step around actual graves as much as he could, while Zayn simply floated over, an amused smile on his face when he turned around. “You’re walking directly through people, you know.” 

“Oh shit.” Jawbone froze where he was. “Is that rude?” 

“They’re used to it.” Zayn settled down over the top of one of the taller gravestones in the cemetery, with a name and dates that had long been worn away, still hovering slightly in a sitting position. “Well, it has been a while since a mortal has visited this cemetery, but they’re understanding.” 

It was obvious he was in his element here, almost smug looking down at Jawbone from atop his gravestone, glancing around and focusing on spaces where Jawbone saw nothing. Gingerly, Jawbone found a relatively clear spot on the ground and sat down. “I’m not sitting inside of anyone right now, am I?”

Zayn shook his head, an amused smile on his face. “Welcome, to the cemetery of Mordred Manor. The spirits are curious about you.” 

“I’m curious about them, too. I’d like to get to know everyone who lives- or, er, exists on these grounds.” He smiled back, and Zayn held his gaze, as if slowly judging him. After a while, his smile widened. “You know, I’ve encountered ghosts before, though, and I hope I’m not being rude, they were a lot angrier than you and these spirits seem to be.” 

“I’ve no reason to be angry.” Zayn shrugged, before pausing, listening to something. “And most of these guys have been here so long that they’ve learned to let go. Time can heal many wounds, you know. Except for Jeremiah, he’s still bitter, even five centuries later.” He rolled his eyes, and Jawbone nodded solemnly. 

“...You’re strange, Mr. O’Shaughnessey.” Zayn said, leaning forward slightly. 

Jawbone chuckled. Coming from Zayn, he must really mean it. “So I’ve been told. And you can call me Jawbone.” 

“Strange, indeed.” Zayn leaned backwards again, casting his gaze off to the distance. “Adaine thinks of you quite highly. The others as well, I’m fairly sure.”

“Oh?” It wasn’t necessarily a surprise to hear (however it was nice), though it was a surprise for Zayn to bring it up. 

“Adaine and I have a few things in common, a lack of present and decent parental figures throughout most of our lives being one of them.” Zayn’s voice dropped into a cool, somber tone, and he looked back at Jawbone from the corner of his eye. “Of course, you probably already know that.” 

“I know a little.” Jawbone admitted. “I’m sorry for it.”

“Ah, you are no more responsible for it than I or Adaine are. It’s simply how it was and is. Besides, things change.” He paused, letting the silence linger before letting out a long sigh. “I’m happier now, at least. You are certainly an improvement upon the last person who paid for my home.”

“I'm glad to hear it, Zayn.” Jawbone said, looking around the cemetery and breathing in the fresh air. “So what do the spirits like to talk about?”

Zayn tilted his head towards him again. “Well… Dolores has a wonderful tale about her funeral. A delightful affair.” 

“Sounds incredibly morbid.” Jawbone said. “I’d love to hear it.” 

Zayn smiled again, a small, pleased sly smile, like Jawbone had passed some hidden test. Dolores’ story (relayed by Zayn with all the appropriate anecdotes and theatrical gestures) was actually rather interesting, with just about everything going wrong up to and including the coffin being struck by lightning. The talk of the town for decades, apparently. 

The spirits of the cemetery had all sorts of stories, each eerier than the last, but soon a couple of hours had passed, and Jawbone found his worries for the Bad Kids and the others a little more distant. Still present, sure, but easier to handle. 

“Thank you, Zayn. That was great.” Jawbone finally said, as afternoon began to turn into evening and they headed back indoors, saying goodbye to the spirits for the night. 

“You were an excellent guest.” Zayn mused. “Though technically you are the caretaker.”

“I felt like a guest. The cemetery is all yours, Zayn. I won’t even pick a weed if you prefer it more overgrown.” Jawbone laughed, and Zayn hesitated momentarily before continuing to hover alongside him, as if startled by the suggestion. 

“Oh.” He said, glancing back over his shoulder in the direction of the cemetery. “Actually, it would be nice to get it cleaned up.”

“Yeah?” Jawbone asked. “I would have thought it might add to the atmosphere.”

“No, a well-kept graveyard is far more elegant, and respectful. Not to mention the spirits would greatly enjoy it.” He seemed a little caught off-guard. “Though, I appreciate the thought.”

Jawbone thought for a moment, before an idea struck him. “Well, in that case, how about we can start work on it tomorrow? I’ll clean up and you can chat with the spirits or write poetry or play some EDM. I haven’t heard a lot of it recently.” 

“It’s a bit hard to play without corporeal fingers to press the buttons.” Zayn’s eyes had widened slightly. “Wouldn’t you prefer to finish the house?” 

“Hey, most of the people living in that house won’t be back for a while.” He shrugged. “There are people living and using the cemetery right now, why not clean it up first? Besides, I had a wonderful time this afternoon.” 

Zayn considered that for a while, dropping a little bit behind Jawbone as he got back to the house. “That would be nice.” 

Jawbone smiled, and if Zayn weren’t a ghost, he would’ve clapped him on the back. As it was, he hoped the general paternal aura was enough. “It’s a plan then.”

Chapter Text

“Jawbone! Jawbone, can you come help me out here!?” Fig’s voice echoed in the hallways of Mordred Manor, and after following the sounds to its source, Jawbone found her dragging a slightly charred bed frame through a doorway, struggling to get it at the right angle to fit. 

She was huffing from exertion, trying to fully pick the frame up and utterly failing. 

“Woah, Fig, here you go.” Jawbone chuckled, lifting the frame up and helping her tilt it so it could squeeze through the doorway. “Did someone else steal Gorgug?” 

“Yes.” Fig scowled, tossing her hair behind her shoulder with a flourish as she dropped what weight of the frame she was carrying. “He went to find somewhere to put the couch and then Kristen or someone called him to help her sort through a bunch of boxes. Can you help me get this into the piano?” 

“Sure, we can give it a go.” Jawbone prepared to try and create the strangest bedroom ever, cracking his knuckles before picking the frame up again. “Are you sure you want your bed in there? It’ll probably be really hard to get out if you change your mind.”

“No, I’m totally sure! Like, eighty-five percent.” Fig shrugged dismissively, before grinning. “It’s gonna be the coolest room ever! Can you even imagine? I’m gonna be sleeping under a piano. I bet all the music is gonna seep out of the keys and into my soul, ya know? Perfect atmosphere.”

“I can see your logic there.” Jawbone said. Fig was a spitfire, that was for sure, and he supposed he should get prepared for more ideas and schemes similar to setting up your room beneath a piano for the atmosphere.

“Thank you! I knew you would get it.” Fig preened while Jawbone wedged her bed frame in the space beneath the piano, which was probably just big enough for Fig’s bed and maybe a small table. The rest of her belongings would probably have to be stored in the actual room itself.

“It’ll definitely be cozy down there.”

“Yeah, I think it’ll be cool. My room back in our old house was pretty small too, in the attic, it was the best.” Fig smiled fondly. “It got totally burned up.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Jawbone winced, but Fig just shrugged.

“Nah, I got to sleep on the couch with Kristen for a while, that was pretty nice, though she totally hogs the blankets. Then she moved in with you, and I had it to myself, and Mom gave me most of the nice pillows from her bed so it was really comfy, even though my horns keep poking holes in them.” She had a smile on her face as she told the stories, going on to detail one night in particular where she and Kristen had tried to sleep on Baxter, reasoning it would be comfortable, only to find out the hard way that Baxter did not enjoy being used as a makeshift bed. 

“-and then on tour, I had my own bed so that was fine, though the bus was super cramped and Gorgug snores. But this room is so far away from everyone else’s it’ll be so quiet, it’s gonna be amazing. And it’s so big! Does this whole room technically count as my room? Or is it just the piano?” She frowned, looking down at her piano.

“I think we can safely designate the whole room as yours.” Jawbone said, to Fig’s obvious delight. It was easy to get caught up in her energy, and hard not to smile. “Sandra Lynn told me you were pretty excited.”

“I am! I know it might be hard to tell, but I really am. Mom is too, you know, but I’m more excited I think because not only do I get to live in this stupidly old haunted manor but a whole bunch of my friends are here too and there’s a ghost and I’m gonna live in a piano and my Mom’s got a boyfriend~” She grinned mischievously, waggling her eyebrows. 

Jawbone laughed, and Fig’s grin settled into more of a devilish smirk, swaying on the balls of her feet before talking again, sticking her tone in the air in a mock-smug fashion. “Of course, you should know that I’ll be watching you very closely to make sure you’re good enough. But also, I already know you so you already pass. Congratulations.” 

“I’m pleased to hear it, I know your standards are very high.” Jawbone joked, and Fig’s smirk widened.

“Of course! Now, the real test, of course, is if you get to be my third dad.” She closed her eyes and turned away slightly, before glancing over her shoulder to see his reaction. Jawbone paused for a moment, mostly surprised. 

“Your dad?” 

Fig’s cheeks flushed a deeper pink, and her grin turned nervous, fingers twitching for a skateboard that she’d left on the other side of the room. “Uh, duh, obviously.”

“You’re willing to think of me as a father figure?” He was even more surprised how the idea wasn’t something that alarmed him. 

“Not yet! You’re just dating my mom, it was a joke, ha-” Fig stuttered a little, before recovering herself. “I mean, I dunno, Tracker and Kristen and Adaine probably don’t consider you their dad, right?” 

“Well, Tracker still calls me her uncle, but I’ve been raising her for a long time. Kristen I know definitely doesn’t, and Adaine... “ He let his voice trail off because Fig was definitely not the person to be talking to about his thoughts about that. 

“Right.” Fig bit her lip, thankfully not quite listening to the nuances of his own response. “Well, I’ll technically be your step-daughter if you and Mom get married-”

“Oh, it’s a bit early to be thinking about marriage-”

“You’re moving in after like, a month of officially dating.” Fig raised an eyebrow, and Jawbone conceded she had at least a little bit of a point. 

“Moving in together and marriage are two very different things.” He said regardless.

“Mhmm, point is, this is something I need to think about, nothing to do with you. Though, I’m obviously of the opinion that the more dads, the merrier, and you are pretty awesome.” 

“Thanks?” 

“You’re welcome.” Fig was back to smiling again, and Jawbone honestly had no idea what he was supposed to glean from this entire conversation. At the time, he decided to just be happy his girlfriend’s daughter liked him.

The end of spring break (well, technically one week after the end of the spring break) brought the end to a lot of things. The end of repairs on Mordred Manor, helped along by the Thistlesprings on a day they wanted to commiserate on their children being off on a dangerous mission. The end of the mission itself, triumphant and victorious.

Jawbone did not like to think about the end of that mission, because watching most of his kids possessed and traumatised and dying and being brought back to life and disappearing into the Nightmare King via livestream had been very upsetting on a number of levels. 

But it was the beginning of a lot of things too. Jawbone had never been so busy, and he’d never been so happy, had never seen a lot of his kids so happy. Their trip had changed them, his home was full, and it was peaceful, at least for the most part. 

“Hey Fig, how’re you doing in here?” He stood in the doorway to Fig’s room, where Fig was perched on top of the piano, one leg dangling over the side and fingers strumming her bass. It was a late night, and Fig had been having a lot of them since she got back, writing music long past most of the others had gone to sleep. She wasn’t the only one with disrupted sleep patterns, so Jawbone had gotten into the habit of doing his rounds before he went to bed, making sure none of his kids were so engrossed in whatever they were doing they lost track of time. 

“Oh, hey.” Fig looked up at him, noting his pyjamas and cups of water in his hands and glancing towards the clock. “Oh wooooow, it’s late.”

Jawbone chuckled, walking inside and passing her one of the cups. “It is. Going to bed soon?” 

Fig nodded, stretching her arms up and putting her bass to the side. “That songs pretty much done anyway. Whole album’ll be done soon.”

“That’s very exciting, I can’t wait to hear the finished product.” Jawbone and the others had been subject to many a listening of one of Fig’s song drafts, so much so that he almost had some of them memorised. 

Fig grinned, packing up her notes and taking a sip of water. “Yeah, it’s crazy. I haven’t been this productive in my life!” 

“It’s all the extra material.” Jawbone said sagely, before grinning and winking teasingly at her. “And the right muse. Speaking of, where is Ayda?” 

Fig scoffed, punching him good-naturedly in the shoulder, blood rushing to her cheeks before she recovered herself. “Just dealing with some stuff on Leviathan.”

“Well, I’ll make sure to bully her into bed when she gets back.” Jawbone said, injecting a fake gruffness into his voice that made Fig roll her eyes. 

“You can’t make us go to bed, you dork.” 

“You’ve all got school tomorrow and need a healthy amount of rest! I know you don’t need to trance, so it’s a solid eight hours for you.” Jawbone poked her shoulder lightly, taking her empty cup when it was passed to him.

“God you are such a dad.” Fig groaned, obviously fighting a smile but not trying very hard. 

“I should hope so, I am one.” Jawbone said, sticking his nose in the air, his grin stupidly wide. He was absolutely loving being able to make jokes like that now, for real.

“To Adaine! Not me!” 

“Why, I seem to remember you were scoping me out to be a third dad.” Jawbone teased. “Have you decided two fathers is enough?” 

Fig looked at him for a second as if to figure out if he was being serious, before stifling some snickers. “No, you could definitely be a third dad. But it’s not legally binding yet. There’s lots of paperwork in Hell, I’ve been looking that shit up. You have no authority to make me go to sleep.” 

“Of course. I technically can’t make you do anything.” Jawbone said, before pausing. “However, it will make me very disappointed.” 

There was a beat.

Then a very affronted gasp.

“That is not fair!” Fig punched him again, a little harder, before covering her mouth to stop herself from laughing. “You’re evil.” 

“Are you going to get a proper amount of sleep?” 

“Yes! Yes! I’m going!” Fig threw up her hands, sliding off the piano and putting her music notes and bass away before hitting the keys to make her piano slide around and reveal her bed. “See? You see me going to sleep?” 

“I do, I’m very impressed.” Jawbone grinned, and Fig rolled her eyes even more dramatically than she had the last time, before stomping over and giving him a hug. “Goodnight, Fig.”

Another huff, but she squeezed a little tighter. “Night, Jawbone.” 

Chapter Text

“Alright Erica, I’ll see you again next week.” Jawbone said, standing up at his desk. “You should be really proud of your progress, you’re doing great.” 

The student across from him, a gnomish freshman, stood up as well, looking relieved. “Okay, bye Mr. O’Shaughnessey!” 

He waved her out of his office and began collecting up papers, before having a look at his calendar. It was a Tuesday, the only day of the week where he’d have a full minivan, with none of his kids busy with one of their various extra-curriculars. 

He had a minivan now. It was weird to think about. 

Walking out of the school was always an adventure, a two-minute walk often stretching into ten or more for how many students or faculty he had to dodge or would start talking to on the way out. By the time he got there, Adaine, Riz and Zayn were already sitting in the mini-van, Adaine smugly in the shotgun position, turned around in her seat to talk to Riz and Zayn behind her. It took a few more minutes for Kristen, Fig and Ayda (who technically wasn’t an official student, but just liked to show up to observe all sorts of different classes and also hang out with Fig) to arrive, and then another five or so for Ragh to finally emerge, a clear frown on his face, his shoulders hiked up.

“Everything alright, Ragh?” Jawbone asked as he climbed into the seat directly behind him.

“Huh?” Ragh glanced over to him before obviously and painstakingly removing the frown from his face, settling into something more neutral, but still visibly tense. “Yeah. Just schoolwork being stupid.” 

Jawbone nodded and hummed in sympathy, glancing over his shoulder to make sure everyone was buckled up before heading off. They dropped Riz off at Strongtower Luxury Apartments first (with his mother often working during pick-up time he used to walk home, but Jawbone didn’t mind going a little out of his way to drive him) before heading to Mordred Manor, his kids all quickly dispersing to every corner in a matter of moments.

Ragh was the only one to drag his feet, his backpack hanging off one shoulder, unzipped with some books dangerously close to falling out. His fists were clenched, almost trembling. 

“Hey, careful with your backpack there, buddy.” Jawbone walked up and saved the backpack before anything fell, half-zipping it up. 

“Thanks.” Ragh’s voice sounded forced, and after a moment he closed his eyes, breathing in extra deeply, though it didn’t seem to ease any of the tension. “Hey- I need to go see my mom but- can we work on the garden afterwards?” 

“Oh, sure.” Jawbone said. “I’ll go get everything ready.” 

Jawbone had been well-acquainted with Ragh before he and his mother had moved into Mordred Manor, and he’d settled in pretty well. Compared to how he’d been when Jawbone had first met him, he’d made incredible progress, especially with his anger management. Anger and barbarians was always a funny thing to try and balance, but he and Ragh had been able to develop and work on a whole range of techniques to try and help him, to increasing success.

Since he’d moved in, one of their newer techniques was the garden. 

Overgrown and full of weeds when they’d first moved in, Jawbone had cleared up most of the gardens during spring break, which had left them bare. They’d all visited a gardening store together to pick out various flowers, vegetables and herbs they all wanted to plant, though most of them weren’t particularly interested in the actual maintenance and care for them. 

It was quiet, tedious busywork, which actually made it almost perfect for Ragh. 

Ragh came out to the front garden after another ten minutes or so, picking out a pair of gardening gloves and crouching down next to Jawbone in front of the rose bushes that Kristen had picked out (for romance purposes, apparently).

“How long have you been holding it in?” Jawbone asked as they began picking over the bushes, cutting some of the fully bloomed roses and trimming branches and leaves.

“Since the end of last period,” Ragh grumbled, his jaw still clenched. “It was just- Henry said some shit and I-” He made a vague growling noise and strange gesture with a free hand. "You know?"

“Hey, I get it.” Jawbone nodded. “You did well.” 

“I tried the breathing stuff but it didn’t really work so-” He took a cut stem in his hands and snapped it, sighing. 

“That’s fine, Ragh. It probably helped you deal with it until you got here, that’s still really good.” Jawbone laid the collection of cut roses into a small basket, setting it to the side. 

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.” Ragh nodded, before gritting his teeth together and throwing himself into his work. 

It was silent by design for the most part. Every now and then Ragh would offer up an anecdote of something else that had happened today, or a funny joke someone had made. They eventually moved on from the rose bushes to the vines that grew up one side of the house, that Zayn had requested be allowed to remain for the aesthetic. Getting rid of all the weeds that had also made their home among them was a complicated task, but a rewarding one, and left Ragh with little room for dwelling on anger while he was trying not to fall off Jawbone’s shoulders. 

By the time they were finished a couple hours later, Ragh’s shoulders were relaxed, an easy smile on his face. Jawbone clapped him heartily on the back, safe in the knowledge that he could take it.

“An excellent day's work, I think.” He said as they walked through the front door. “How do you feel?”

“Great,” Ragh said, looking down at the basket of roses he was carrying. “Hey, do you think I could take some of these for Mom?” 

“You helped pick them, you can take as many as you like.” Jawbone nodded, steering them towards the kitchen. “Here, we’ll see if we can find a vase.” 

“Thanks, dude.” Ragh smiled, laying the basket down on the dining table and beginning to pick through the roses while Jawbone hunted for a vase.

He ended up not finding one, instead offering up a water jug as a substitute, which was accepted. Jawbone watched him carefully select out the nicest roses and arrange them in the jug.

“How’s your mother settled in?” He asked. Ragh glanced up at him, lighting up a little.

“Oh, she’s doing really well! The change in scenery is really helping her out, you know? And the others are helping me out with my research on that devil so, maybe one day we’ll be able to get that gem out of her.” He chuckled lightly. “That would be pretty cool.”

“It would be. It’s pretty impressive, what you’ve done so far.” 

Ragh waved a dismissive hand. “Hey, it’s nothing. Fig’s even getting her dad to find out stuff about it, so really, I’m hardly doing any of the work.” 

“Hey, don’t undervalue your own efforts.” Jawbone said, and Ragh nodded quickly, amending his statement.

“Right, right, I know. Mom’s real proud of me, so that’s awesome.” 

“I bet she is.” Jawbone nodded in agreement, and Ragh smiled loosely, before looking carefully back down at his water jug of roses. 

“Alright, I’m gonna go give this to her. Thanks, dude.” Ragh picked up the jug and headed off to the back of the house, where he and his mother had been situated in one of the relatively normal rooms (since the other kids had claimed all the random towers and abnormal rooms that most families would use as storage) with a small patio that Ragh’s mother would often sit out at. 

Lydia Barkrock was a wonderful woman, though her permanent state of rage meant most conversations with her tended to be very emotionally charged. Still, she was great, thrilled at having a couple more adults in the house to talk to, and Ragh benefited from having a wider support network around him, no longer having to rely solely on the money Lydia received every month in payment for the whole stopping-a-devil-from-being-released-at-the-cost-of-most-of-her-autonomy thing. She was also shockingly good at poker.

Jawbone next saw Ragh and his mother at dinner, which was a whole house affair with as many occupants as there were. Kristen and Ragh were both talented, if adventurous, cooks, and with the promise of never having to do the dishes afterwards, they were happy to cook for everyone most nights, with Jawbone or Sandra Lynn supervising to make sure they didn’t deviate from a recognisable recipe too much. 

So he sat at the dining table with a book, and tonight he paid extra attention to their constant stream of chatter, reassured when Ragh’s voice was clear and cheerful, matching Kristen at every turn, both of them laughing and debating how exact measurements really needed to be, calling out to anyone else who poked their head into the kitchen to see what was going on. 

Dinner always ended up being at least ten minutes later than what it was supposed to be, but if the kids were all happy, Jawbone could never complain.

Chapter Text

Jawbone had met Ayda Aguefort once, long before any of the Bad Kids had even stepped foot in Leviathan. 

The Jawbone of ten years ago had been an interesting person, and the story of how he ended up on a pirate ship city was one of the most fascinating. To cut that story short, he was there for three months, nearly died on a few occasions, and overall had a wonderful time. 

There were all sorts of interesting people Jawbone had met there, and one of those people had been Ayda Aguefort. Nearly seven years old at the time, wings barely more than tufts of flame, under the guardianship of Garthy O’Brien (who Jawbone would personally rank as the most interesting person on Leviathan) and spending most of her time perched in the rafters of the Gold Gardens, where almost none of the other pirates could reach her, but she could read in peace and quietly observe those below. 

He had had a single conversation with her, most of which Jawbone couldn’t remember because he had been under the influence of many drugs at the time. But he did remember one thing clearly, and it was that he liked her. 

He’d almost forgotten about that meeting until he’d tuned into the livestream of their final battle and managed to witness her and Fig flirting and gushing about each other from the perspective of a recently-dead Riz. That battle had a lot of unpack, and Jawbone didn’t think he’d ever get around to it, but the point is that he nearly spat out his drink because Ayda? 

And also Ayda and FIG? Together?!? 

And did Riz just die?!??

When they all returned to Solace, there were so many people Jawbone needed to talk to. But somewhere in the mix, he managed to catch a moment with Ayda. 

“Ayda,” He sidled up to her side where she was standing, watching everyone’s parents that had been left behind having raced over to see their kids again, Fig distracted by a conversation with her dads and Sandra Lynn. “I’m not sure if you remember me-”

“Jawbone. Permanently half-shifted werewolf, I remember you.” Ayda said, seeming intrigued. “I didn’t know you lived here, I had assumed you died after you stopped visiting the Gold Gardens. Most pirates who stop visiting do so because they have been killed.” 

Jawbone chuckled. “Oh, I can see how you might think that. But no, I’m fit as a fiddle. How are you? How’s Garthy?” 

“I have been fully healed from my ordeal in the Nightmare Forest thanks to Kristen’s new goddess, thank you for your concern. Garthy was also healthy, last I saw them. I can check for you when I next visit Leviathan.” She said, nodding politely. 

“That’s good to hear. I’m glad everyone made it back safely.” He glanced around to the others, all in high spirits, hugging their parents or each other or just lying on the grass, enjoying the end of a long and arduous adventure. 

“I am as well.” Ayda said, following his eyes for a moment before snapping back to him. “It was nice to see you again. I am going to go meet Zayn Darkshadow now. I have never met a ghost before, and Adaine promised to introduce me.”

She went off, and Jawbone decided then and there that he still liked her. 

The next week or so were busy, filled with everyone getting resettled after their adventure since they’d hardly had any time to really settle in before leaving in the first place. Between Ragh and his mother, Aelwyn, sorting things out with Sandra Lynn, Jawbone hardly had a moment to himself. 

Eventually, almost all of them went back to school, even though with sixty percent of their grade for the whole year assured, they were almost guaranteed to pass. Still, Jawbone wasn’t going to let them get away with skipping the entire rest of the year, so off to school they went. At the very least, they had the entire student body to brag to about their success. With a good chunk of the Bad Kids living in his house on an occasional or permanent basis, Jawbone ended up being a taxi driver most days.

Ayda technically still lived on Leviathan, though the key that Arthur Aguefort had given her meant that that was a trivial distinction, and she spent most of her time in Mordred Manor, though it wasn’t quite the same as Kristen or Fig or any of the others. While they were his kids (whatever that meant to each of them), Ayda was more like a roommate. 

She was also an absolute delight. 

She was endlessly fascinated by the logistics of Jawbone being a perma-shifted werewolf — and apparently she’d been just as interested when they’d first met, but Jawbone had been far too high to explain anything useful — and spent a full week studying him and asking him questions about it, which he’d been happy to answer. That had ended up with them spending a fair amount of time together, and it soon became clear to Jawbone that Ayda was just wonderfully curious, and altogether exceedingly fun to hang out with, chatting for hours about whatever interested her. 

“So am I able to follow you during your full transformation to record and catalogue it?” Ayda was perched on the kitchen bench while Jawbone held bunches of herbs close to her wings, drying them out far faster than the oven ever could (Kristen also swore that it made everything taste better).

“I would prefer you not.” Jawbone said, smiling sympathetically. “It can be pretty personal, but I appreciate you asking.”

“I see. I do not understand, but I will respect your personal boundaries.” Ayda nodded, frowning a little and looking down at her crystal, which Fig had gotten her a week ago. After a moment, she perked up again. “In that case, I will have to ask you try to remember everything you do so you can tell me afterwards. I can record your voice!” 

She held up her crystal, which she had spent most of the last week using gleefully, exploring every single feature she could find or app that one of the others recommended to her. 

“That sounds great.” Jawbone said, inspecting the bundle of herbs in his hands to see if they were ready, continuing to make small talk. “Any plans for the weekend?” 

“There have been multiple discussions.” Ayda said, furrowing her brows. “Many of the others voted on rollerskating, but we realised that the skates likely would not fit my feet. Apparently the public rollerskating rink does not offer skates fit for bird feet to rent, which I think is a grave oversight on their part.” 

“Oh, that’s no good.” Jawbone said, frowning. “Yeah, I remember they don’t have any skates that fit me either. They really don’t cater to many besides the typical. They play great music though.” 

“Yes, the others have mentioned that. It is very frustrating to be the reason that we cannot all go, and we have not decided on an alternative yet.” 

“Hmm.” Jawbone thought hard for a moment. “There must be some kind of solution out there.” 

“We investigated online, but there is no one who sells any here in Elmville. And they would have to be tailor-made.”

“What about the Thistlesprings?” Jawbone asked. “They’d probably be able to make some rollerskates.”

Ayda paused for a moment, before her eyes widened. “I did not consider them. Of course! They are excellent tinkerers. I shall contact them immediately!” She grinned. “With my crystal, rather than magic. Such an excellent way to save spell slots.” 

“Do you think they’d be willing to make two sets of skates?” Jawbone asked, curious. He had always wanted to go roller skating. 

“I will ask.” Ayda nodded solemnly, before beginning to tap away at her crystal. 

It wasn’t long before Ayda reported that the Thistlesprings were happy to accept such a commission, and declared that she would head over immediately, in hopes of the skates being ready by the weekend, Jawbone going along as well. 

The Thistlesprings were as wonderful as ever, taking their feet measurements and accepting his and Ayda’s payments with only a token protest. Quick workers as they were, the next morning Jawbone found two sets of tailor-made skates dropped off at the doorstep of Mordred Manor. 

Fig and the others had been utterly thrilled when Ayda presented her skates (and mildly irritated that they hadn’t thought of the Thistlesprings themselves), before half-heartedly groaning when Jawbone presented his and announced that he wanted to come along as well. 

Jawbone turned out to be absolute shit at rollerskating. But Ayda (who was an absolute natural, no thanks to having wings to help her stay upright) glided up and offered a hand, giving him a long list of tips that could help him stay balanced. He didn’t get any better, but it didn’t stop them from enjoying the rest of the day.

Chapter Text

“Aelwyn.” 

Jawbone spun around in his seat just in time to see Aelwyn creeping past the doorway to the living room, frozen at the sound of her name. She remained stiff for a moment before deflating with a defeated sigh, folding her arms and stepping into the doorway but not any closer. 

“Jawbone.” She said blandly, leaning against the doorway. Above her, the clock read two hours past midnight. 

“You didn’t respond to any of our texts.” Jawbone kept his voice mild and quiet, and Aelwyn glanced away, her face hard.

“I didn’t see them.” She lied, and Jawbone scratched the back of his neck. Aelwyn was different from the rest of his kids in a number of small but very important ways, and he was still trying to figure out the best way to approach them. 

She audibly exhaled. “I suppose Adaine told you what I did. And said.” 

He didn’t confirm or deny. “I’m fairly certain she’s still awake waiting for you.” 

Aelwyn was generally very good at keeping composed, not letting her emotions or thoughts show on her face unless you knew what to look for, and Adaine was basically the only one who knew what to look for. But Jawbone could’ve sworn he saw her wince, just a little. 

“I think I’ll trance down here tonight.” She finally said, turning to leave. 

“Aelwyn, wait.” Jawbone stood up, and Aelwyn stiffened once again, turning so that she was only half facing him as he stepped towards her. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Didn’t you say Adaine already did?” Aelwyn could be sharp and curt in the best of times, but she usually would always look the person she was speaking to in the eyes. 

“Adaine told me you were having a bad day and stormed out after she confronted you about it.” That was the mild version of the story, at least. 

“Bad day, bad week, month, what’s the difference,” Aelwyn muttered under her breath, before immediately remembering that Jawbone’s hearing was far better than most. Her eyes snapped up to him, narrowing before she looked away. “That is essentially what happened.”

“Where did you go?” Jawbone asked, putting that first thing that Aelwyn had said aside for the moment. 

“Out.” 

“Are you alright?” 

She hesitated. “I’m fine. I didn’t do anything stupid.” 

“But are you alright?”

A longer hesitation. “I’m going to bed. It’s late.” 

Aelwyn was complicated. The weeks that passed after spring break were full, and Jawbone only had so much time to split between his kids and work, and Aelwyn was self-sufficient enough, her coping mechanisms entrenched enough, that sometimes it was easy for her to slip through the cracks. She had a therapist, as did most of the kids, and Jawbone had been able to have a handful of conversations with her to discuss how he could support her. But recovery was rarely quick or simple, and Aelwyn had a lot of recovery ahead of her. 

She was pleasant enough — if extremely snarky at any opportunity —  with the other residents of the manor, but she still felt almost detached at times, purposefully keeping everyone else at arms length. Adaine was, like with most things to do with Aelwyn, the exception, but the repairs and forging of their sisterly relationship was something solely between them, and Jawbone kept well away from it unless specifically asked for advice. 

Still, Jawbone didn’t enjoy seeing anyone hold themselves back the way Aelwyn did, but luckily it was something he did have some ideas for how to alleviate. 

Idea number one? Family trip. Ostensibly to celebrate Ragh’s graduation and his and Tracker’s upcoming trip to Fallinel, with an added bonus of bonding opportunities. 

“Alright kids, I’m about to let go of shotgun!” Jawbone shouted through the manor, laden down with beach bags. There were muffled shrieks in response, and the sound of multiple sets of footsteps racing down steps. 

“I don’t understand that,” Aelwyn muttered, one of the few to actually have been ready and downstairs on time. Next to her, Ayda — the only other punctual one —  was drawing teleportation runes on the ground, looking up when Aelwyn spoke.

“I was told that the shotgun seat was an extremely important seat of honour, why would we not want to get there first?” 

“Because it’s a car seat, not a war game.” Aelwyn folded her arms, sticking her nose in the air lightly, only to whisper under her breath, “And the oldest should get it automatically anyway.” 

“Well, if I tried to assign it to one person indefinitely they would mutiny, so it was either this or everyone sets alarms for 3am again, so an official game it is.” Jawbone said cheerfully, before preparing to shout again as the others began to appear in the foyer. “Three! Two! One! Go!” 

What ensued was a general pandemonium and several spells and counterspells being cast that ended in a few bruises that had to be healed and Ayda emerging victorious with her carefully timed teleportation directly into the seat. A good ten minutes was spent debating whether starting a teleportation spell before Jawbone said go was allowed, which ended when Jawbone declared that anything was fair game as long as the spell didn’t take effect until after. 

All of his kids (and Ragh’s mother) were in the van, and when they arrived at the beach, the other Bad Kids that didn’t live with them and a collection of their other friends — most of the Seven Maidens being most notable among them, thanks to Zelda receiving an initial invitation from Gorgug and extending it to them all — met them there. Jawbone let them loose on the poor, unsuspecting beach, and soon most of them were crashing in the waves, while most of the parents that had driven them chatted on the shore or in the shallows to make sure no one did anything truly stupid.

Jawbone set up a few umbrellas and established a sort of home base for them all, and after a minute or so, Aelwyn came and sat down under one of them, still wearing a light sundress over her swimsuit and carrying her bag. 

“Not a big swimmer?” Jawbone asked, looking out to the water. He was hoping to get a chance to get in there himself eventually, but they had plenty of time. 

“I’m a capable swimmer,” Aelwyn said, looking out as well. The others all seemed to be testing how far they could get before most of them weren’t able to touch the ocean floor, riding the waves and splashing each other. “I haven’t been to a beach in a long time.” 

“When was the last time you went?” 

“While we still lived in Fallinel.” She wasn’t looking directly at him, and Jawbone didn’t turn to look at her, making a small hum of acknowledgment and giving her space to continue. “Adaine was still a baby, I think.” 

She audibly inhaled. “It wasn’t even a family trip, it was business that just happened to be near a beach, and… our father’s superior was taking his family to the beach, so we went as well. We weren’t allowed to go in the water.” 

“That doesn’t sound very fun at all.” Jawbone finally tilted his head towards her, and saw her brow furrowed, eyes looking more to the horizon than to the ocean. “Are you planning on going in today?”

“Yes.” She said, before sighing, shaking her head lightly. “Once they all calm down and stop splashing around like a gang of animals.” 

“What’s so wrong with splashing around a bit?” Jawbone asked airily, and Aelwyn huffed, knowing the right answer despite her initial ingrained distaste.

“Nothing, I suppose.” She injected a little more snark into it than was really necessary, fixing Jawbone with a dry look. “But I’m not in the mood to be half-drowned today.” 

“That’s half the fun of going to the ocean.” Jawbone grinned, standing up and pulling off his shirt. “You can help me sneak up on Tracker.” 

Aelwyn frowned up at him for a moment, clearly considering it. Finally, she cracked a smile, probably more at the idea of pranking one of the others. That was fine. Pranks came first, then the emotional attachment would sneak in while she wasn’t looking. 

“Very well, you’ve convinced me.” She stuck her nose up in the air a little and stood up, leaving her bag on the ground. “What exactly do you plan to do?” 

Aelwyn followed him down to the shore, slinking into the water until she waded up to Tracker, who was taking a momentary breather from the splash fights the others were engaging in. A little small talk as a distraction while Jawbone snuck up behind his niece and by the time Tracker realised something was up, it was too late, her shrieks catching everyone’s attention as she flew through the air before landing further out into the ocean

Everyone else gaped for a moment, but Jawbone looked to Aelwyn just in time to see her hastily stifle a laugh, ducking low in the water. She managed to sneak around the edges of the group while Jawbone was subsequently bombarded with splashing or requests to be thrown as well, but Jawbone was certain that one definitely magically-influenced wave that sent a good half a dozen of the other kids sputtering towards shore to catch a breather came from her. 

The next few hours were filled with as many random games and ocean adventures they could think of. At one point Kristen had to be fished out of the ocean with a Fly spell on account of refusing to give up on a ‘how far out into the ocean can you swim before you get eaten by a shark’ dare, but at least she didn’t actually run into a shark.

If the other kids noticed Aelwyn involving herself, they didn’t say anything. On the contrary, they were delighted at another person to try and drag onto their team for whatever game they were attempting now. Eventually, everyone got dragged into a sandcastle building competition which then of course descended into a sand-flinging war that only ended when everyone’s efforts were thoroughly destroyed and many spell slots had been expended. 

As the afternoon began to wane, and they traded ocean adventures for a beachside feast, Jawbone couldn’t stop himself from smiling while he watched Aelwyn gleefully tell a story of one of the craziest parties she’d been to during her Hudol days, and how she herself had made it even more hectic. The others would interject with questions and jokes that Aelwyn would respond to with smug wit, and when Kristen started bragging about something she’d accomplished with the help of Cassandra, she happily heckled along with everyone else (mixed in with genuine interest), reminding her of how she’d tripped over her own feet and faceplanted in the water barely an hour ago.

It was a long drive back to Mordred Manor, and by the time they got there most of the kids promptly went bonkers trying to get to the bathrooms before anyone else. Usually at times like these, Jawbone had noticed that Aelwyn would either stay out of it completely — while loudly declaring how absolutely immature it was — or quietly sneak away to the goal while the others were still debating the rules. 

This time, she purposefully tripped Ayda on the way out of the van (with a big beach bag to cushion the fall) and raced inside, preemptively calling dibs on the upstairs bathroom. That is, the one with the best showerhead. 

All the others were momentarily stunned enough that Aelwyn actually managed to get up to the front door and misty step inside before Ragh snapped out of it. “Get her!” 

Jawbone just smiled, listening to Aelwyn’s cackle fade into the depths of the manor as the others stormed towards the door.