Finally calming his cries, Dereck spoke again. “I know it hurts. You’ve been left alone so many times by so many people. It’s easy to feel like - like leaving is the only thing left you can do when you feel alone,” Dereck slowly raised his head. He locked eyes with the girl in front of him, her face stained by tears and grief. Her eyes were a blend of beady red and a warm green, the two colors washing over one another as they waited for a decision to be made.
A sad smile appeared on Dereck’s face as he looked at Jaxxon. “But I’ll let you know now kid, we’re never leaving you ever again; that’s a promise.” Confusion mixed with the sadness on Jaxxon’s face as she looked back at him.
Jaxxon glanced behind Dereck seeing her mom and dad smiling back at her. She saw her sisters, Alex and Elianna, relieved to see her alive, their eyebrows still furrowed in concern. Even the others that tagged along with her family smiled in relief at the sight of the girl. She looked back at Dereck and met his eyes. Those blue eyes, they had freed her, loved her, and left her. Now they looked back at her once again.
Jaxxon took her shaky hand and lifted it slowly reaching toward Dereck. Dereck understood. He pulled her quickly into a tight, but gentle embrace. Jaxxon hugged him back just as tight as she cried into his shoulder. Dereck rubbed a hand up and down her back as he comforted the crying girl, “I got you J-J” Dereck says. Xavier and Victoria sigh in relief at the sight. Slowly the two separated. Dereck stood up from his grounded position. He held his crushed wrist with his other hand, wincing as he felt the bone move and merge back together to heal. Jaxxon’s head hung low after the embrace. ‘She’s probably exhausted’ Dereck thought and put his good hand on her shoulder urging her to stand.
Jaxxon didn’t move, instead, she spoke, “Dereck? You understand right?”
A small smile appeared on his face, “Yeah, I understand kid.”
“So, you won’t mind right?”
His brows creased as he was confused by the question, “Mind what, Jax?”
Jaxxon looked up from the ground, dark red eyes stared back at Dereck.
“If I kill you?”