Hope Falls

"Just leave me! Just leave me an-" Fleur cried, cutting off with a scream as the explosion came - the firework falling a different direction as it launched and hitting into the branches above them instead.

Emmett braced himself against the hit, expecting it to come. Not moving when the firework passed them, still cautious.

"We have to go, we have to go before the next ones go!" Fleur sobbed, twisting awkwardly to try and get her arms free enough to help him push the log up.

Emmett retracted his wings as he shifted away, steeling himself before grabbing the log and pulling it as hard as he could.

Fleur clambered out the first chance she got, biting through the pain as one of her wings hung limp; having been completely crushed. Lifting her arm up to try and cover her mouth from the smoke, eyes stinging.

Fleur clambered out the first chance she got, biting through the pain as one of her wings hung limp; having been completely crushed. Lifting her arm up to try and cover her mouth from the smoke, eyes stinging.

Emmett quickly lifted her up into his arms before racing out through the forest

"Thank you! Thank you..." The woman fussed as she met them a safe distance from the forest; taking Fleur from Emmett's arms.

Karina waited just behind, brow furrowed with annoyance though her eyes showed concern; studying Emmett closely.

"Thank you! Thank you..." The woman fussed as she met them a safe distance from the forest; taking Fleur from Emmett's arms.

Karina waited just behind, brow furrowed with annoyance though her eyes showed concern; studying Emmett closely.

“She needs a healer immediately to save her wings.”

"I'll take her, I'll take her. Thank you." The woman nodded, whispering a quieter; "Thank you." before turning on her heel and walking through the crowd.

"You're an idiot." Karina reprimanded quietly.

“She would’ve died and that would’ve haunted me.”

"A random girls life is more important than mine and your children's future." Karina mumbled. "I- we won't discuss this now. You need checking over too. You should go."

“If that child was one of ours and someone refused to help, you would be okay with that because they’re not their parents?!”

"Don't use that tone with me." She answered shakily, slowly closing the space between them to take his face in her hands - checking his over for injury.

“I’m unharmed Kari.”

"You promised you would come home if I asked you too.. th - that isn't coming home." She stated, voice thick as her lip trembled like a child. "It- it is un-unfair of you to leave me stood.. stood at the edge of a burning forest watching it burn and picturing our future with it. It is not fair of you to do something so wreckless when I have begged you not to, why do you want me to bury you? Why do you want me to raise children alone? Why do you want me to be a widow again? You promised...."

“Of course that’s exactly what I want, why I ran into the fire. Because I wanted to die, I wanted to leave you, I did it very calculatingly in order to hurt you.” Emmett gritted out. “I couldn’t leave a child to die. And I hope that if one of ours were ever in the same situation that the person who could save them wouldn’t just pop home for a cup of tea instead.”

Karina flinched at his tone, slowly letting her hands drop from his face though she didn't step back. Lowering her head to watch the floor as tears escaped, trying to control her breathing to not let on.

Karina flinched at his tone, slowly letting her hands drop from his face though she didn't step back. Lowering her head to watch the floor as tears escaped, trying to control her breathing to not let on.

“If I died then I would have died helping someone instead of being a coward and letting a child die, Karina. She still might - her injuries were severe, god knows how much internal bleeding and injuries she had. I understand you’re upset, but it’s wholly unfair to accuse me of being borderline suicidal and wanting to leave you just because my fear of dying was outweighed by my fear of a kid burning to death.”

"You shouldn't have been scared of dying; you should have been scared of leaving me. You should have been scared of leaving them..." Clearing her throat, she lifted her hand up to wipe at her eyes. "I - It doesn't matter. I told Dasha I would watch Cas and Sira so she and Conan could... I mean.. I have plans. You.. do whatever."

“I’m more scared of my children and their mother living with the shame that I let a child die, that I was a coward, that I wasn’t fit for my job. Leave them scared that if they were in danger I’d abandon them too!”

"You wouldn't have been a coward." Karina whispered shakily. "Sorry for being scared, please just.. stop yelling at me. I need to go... I need Dasha. Need a hug."

“I know you were scared… but you saying I’m unfair and trying to leave you on purpose is unfair…” Emmett sighed deeply, opening his arms up.