Chapter Text
Sammy sat alone in the cabin, double checking inventory counts and crew reports. The words ever so slightly swimming. It was going on 48 hours with no rest in sight for him. Not when Harriet had disappeared again.
She will be back, she always is. Her bloodshot blown out eyes, ever so slightly slurred words, and bruises marking her skin will always confirm to him where she was. As if Diego disappearing at the same time hadn’t already. He always followed her after all.
Until then he’ll pick up the slack. He always did. One day she’ll pay him back.
The door creaked open.
Sammy looked up, blinking spots out of his eyes, before he saw it. The mop of white hair. One of his brothers, shaking, dried tears on his cheeks.
“Silas? What’s wrong?” His voice was soft, a tone reserved only for his brothers.
Silas’s face twisted, hands wringing together before he rushed forward at a nod from Sammy.
His voice was quiet, nearly silent and cracking as the words stumbled out. “I saw her again. Saw it again.”
Sammy’s face fell, sadness creeping into his eyes at the reminder, before opening his arms, waiting for his brother to enter them before squeezing him tight. It was always hard to remember their mother. The bittersweet of the last person who had protected them. It didn’t help that the anniversary was coming up. The twins had it worse, having been what she was defending when she was killed. He hadn’t been there to protect them, had failed at the thing their mother had drilled into him since before they were even born. Even after all these years, his mother still haunted him. Whispers of pride and disgust mixing in his ears.
Silas clinged to him, tears returning to his eyes, a sob breaking free now that he felt safe.
He pulled the younger into his lap, whispering sweet nothings. “It’s okay. You’re not there anymore. I’m here now.”
His younger brother hid his face and shrunk into him, as if trying to disappear from the world.
“Would you like to stay while I finish these reports?” Feeling a nod against his neck, Sammy returned to his work.
He pored over everything, moving quickly yet effectively. His brother is a great motivator for finishing. Checking over the last of his notes, he tucked everything away according to Harriet’s system. She’ll end up “checking over it” later before implementing the necessary changes. It’s what they always did. She’s the captain afterall, the crew can’t know how much Sammy’s pulling the strings. They would mutiny, the blood too tempting for the sharks that walk across their planks.
Satisfied, Sammy stood up, making sure his now sleeping brother was secure in his arms as he walked towards his quarters where Sebastian currently slept. Well, where he assumed he was sleeping, because when he entered the room sleepy eyes blinked open.
“Sammy? Is that- is that you? Where’s Silas?”
“Shh, We are both right here Seb. It’s okay. Go back to sleep, okay?”
Watery eyes stared into his as he set Silas down. A hand reaching out for him.
“Stay. Don’t go. Please. I- I miss you.”
His heart broke a little. He had been so stressed out due to Harriet, he had neglected his brothers. He was no better than his father.
“I’m not leaving. I’ll be right here all night.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Sebastian’s hand retracted as Sammy laid beside his brothers, reaching over Silas to touch the youngest of them all, reassuring them both. Harriet may return at any moment, yet even she would understand that they came first. Family always came first.