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“Em, don’t run..!”

A soft and gentle sigh falling out past her soft pink lips, Isaura smiled softly, her head shaking lightly from side to side as she watched after the young girl, making sure that she wasn’t going to hurt herself in any way as she hurried back to where they were sitting… to where her amazing and ever loving older brother was waiting for their return. This was it… it was finally happening; they were finally on their way..! London, England- the very first stop on their big trip. It was their first real trip together; their first real trip as a family… and truly, that meant everything to her.

Lifting her hand up, she gently brushed some stray strands of her long dark hair back and off her face, neatly tucking them back and behind her ear as she shot a glance around- it wasn’t her first time on a plane; and she was damn sure it wasn’t going to be her last either. She loved travelling… always had; and the fact that she had managed to find someone who shared that same love, that same passion was more than she could have ever asked for. Her arms coming up on either side of her body, she let her fingers brush lightly over the corners of the seats that she passed them by, her footsteps careful as she began to make her way back to her seat, her smile seeming to grow the very moment she caught sight of her boyfriend and his sister sitting and watching a movie together.

Gods he was perfect… they both were… and she was beyond lucky to have them both in her life.

“..Theo, mind getting up so I ca-...”

Stumbling slightly, she reached out, her hands gripping tightly to the back of his seat and the seat on the opposite side of the aisle as she did all she could to keep her balance through the small bout of turbulence. Once… twice… three times… As the fourth bout came around, both longer and stronger than the ones before it, Isaura frowned, her nails digging into the material covering the cushions and her feet fumbling about underneath her as she did what she could to keep her balance, waiting for the moment when it would be safe enough for her to let go, and to return to the safety of her seat by the window- and that was when she heard it…

The creaking… the groaning… A flitter of worry spreading through her being, she slowly began to lift her head, her soft pink lips parting ever so slightly from one another as her gaze was drawn up and to the overheads- the rattling… she could see it. The luggage that was held within pushing against them rather violently, the compartments threatening to burst open, and to shower them in the very things they had filled them with before the flight had even begun.

“..T-Theo…” Her voice was soft, though very quickly overshadowed by a loud explosion, the ear-shattering sound ripping through the plane causing her to fly backwards, her back arching and a pain shooting through it as she was smashed against the seats behind her, the sudden lurch causing her head to whip back with the motion. Her ears were ringing… the loud buzz clouding her mind as she slowly drew herself back to the present- her head… her neck… her back… they were all hurting worse than they ever had before, but she couldn’t let that stop her; she had to get back to them… she had to get back to Theodore…

Scrunching her face up as the pain shot through her person, Isaura pushed herself back up as best as she could, the flash of yellow swaying back and forth from above them letting her know that the oxygen masks had deployed; she had to reach them… Theodore… Emily… she had to make sure that they were okay. Shooting her arm out in front of her, she reached towards him, the panic and fear behind her eyes clear as the shrill screech of metal filled the cabin, causing the plane to once more jolt, and the next thing she knew, she was on the ground, her body curling and her arms lifting up to cover her head as the overheads began to burst open, showering her with luggage.

Slowly lifting her head as she no longer felt heavy items colliding with her body, Isaura pushed herself up, her gaze flicking about wildly for a few moments before eventually, the familiar sight of her own bag caught her eye causing her to instinctively reach out and grab it up before she flung it over her neck, letting it rest on her back as she once more rose to her feet, struggling against the cluttered aisle on her way back to where Theodore and Emily were still sitting safely within their seats. Things were bad… the worst possible scenario- the plane was going down, and them along with it, that much was more than clear, but as long as those two were alright-...

That was all that mattered to her…

“..Theodore..!?” Reaching her arm out in front of her, Isaura scrunched up her face, her body fighting against the angle the plane had leant at as she struggled to reach him, the very tips of her fingers brushing lightly against his before it was gone, her body once more thrown, however this time, she knew it was the end, the tears sparkling behind her eyes as she shot one last look at him as she was pulled back, ripped from the plane as it tore apart, causing her words to be lost within the noise and the rush of air as she fell towards the dark abyss of the ocean below.

“..I-I love you…”

Waiting for Isaura and Emily to return, Theodore watched the clouds go by the window, a little deep in thought. This was the first trip he had taken, since his parents had died, and he wanted to try and make it as grand as he could for Emily. He tried so hard to do right by her, and yet still sometimes he worried it wasn’t enough. At the sound of Isaura’s voice, Theodore looked over, smiling as Emily came running towards him. He would have been utterly and completely lost without Isaura… she had been the rock that had kept him steady, and had helped out with Emily every chance she could.

Theodore was lucky to have her in his life, and he couldn’t imagine it without her. Leaning over to help Emily buckle herself in, he gave her back her headphones, settling back himself, waiting for Isaura to return as well. The last year had shown him just what it would be like, to truly be a family… they’d been together for what felt like forever, at least to Theodore, and he wanted it to last forever. He wanted Emily to have a home again, instead of just a place to come back to. He tried to desperately to give her a home, but… he worried it wasn’t enough.

He could never give her what their parent’s would have… but he’d damn well try, and he knew that Isaura would to. Looking up, meeting her gaze, returning her smile, Theodore knew that everything he wanted in the world was right there with him. Isaura… even the thought of her filled him with warmth. And her smile sent him over the moon… There really was nothing he wouldn’t do, for her, for Emily. And there was no one he’d rather have by his side to help raise his little sister. It had been hard so far, but he knew it would have been a million times harder without Isaura.

He was already reaching to unbuckle himself, to then rise and sweep her into his arms, when the turbulence happened, the bumping in the air-the change from the smooth flight-forcing him back into his seat from where he’d been, poised to undo his seatbelt. Not terribly concerned-turbulence occurred on just about every flight, so he didn’t think it was anything to worry about-And then it became worse, stronger, longer and he reached out, flinging his arm across Emily, as if that could stop her from flying out her seat any better than her seatbelt, the motion was instinct, not something he stopped to consider as foolish, and when making sure that she was okay, his gaze searched for Isaura, reaching out to her despite the distance.

As the creaking and groaning began, he reached for Emily’s hand, gripping it with his right, even as he reached across, twisting to try and reach Isaura, forgetting about his seatbelt, that he hadn't yet unbuckled it, not sure what he was even trying to do. Save her from falling luggage? Or pull her back, towards him, to protect her and Emily? It didn't seem to matter... either way, he just wanted to have her hand in his.

"Isaura!" he cried, just wanting her safe beside him, even as his mind sped up, trying to make sense of the situation and telling him that maybe there was no safety anymore. Maybe they were going to go down... maybe this was it... he gripped Emily's hand tighter, keeping his gaze on Isaura, "I love you, I love you both... Isaura!" His words were drowned by the explosion, and he screamed, frustrated that he couldn’t do anything for one of the few people he loved, stretching his fingers out further as if he could do something about it, pull her back to him with sheer force of will, keeping the tight grip on Emily, as if he could stop her from disappearing from his side.

”ISAURA”

As the mask’s came down, Theodore rather furiously pulled one down, but his touch was gentle as he put it on Emily, forgetting everything he’d been taught about plane safety, and just wanting to make sure that she was okay. Forgetting a mask for himself, he reached to undo his seatbelt, his mind finally recalling that that was why he couldn’t get up. His fingers, shaking with adrenaline, thumbled for the release, all the while, he kept his eyes on Isaura, as if afraid taking his eyes off her would mean she was gone from him forever. He couldn’t bare to see the pain and fear in her gaze, in her beautiful eyes, and his heart almost broke when she reached towards him. He hated seeing the look, hated being too far away. He’d do anything to take her in his arms, and shelter her, protect her… and Emily.

He couldn’t lose either of them. ”Isaura” He whispered, trembling fingers grasping the clasp, to unbuckle himself, to go to her, when the sound of metal breaking, screeching apart was added to the sounds the plane already had-screaming, crying, fearful sounds piercing through through everything, and he screamed Isaura’s name again, twisting to protect Emily as much as he could, seatbelt forgotten as he held his sister, tears pricking his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He couldn’t let Emily see his tears, couldn’t let her know he was afraid.

”it’s going to be okay… It’s always going to be okay, I’ll always be there, I’ll always save you” He said into his sister’s ear, wanting to reassure her, wanting to let her know that no matter what, he’d always be there to pick her up, and make things right. Even if they only had a few moments left, he wanted her to know that her big brother would go to the ends of the earth for her. He wanted to say the words to Isaura, wanted to le her know how much he loved her, that he would be nothing without her, but he couldn’t, and now he choked back a sob, painfully swallowing around a lump in his throat, closing his eyes tight, still refusing to let the tears fall.

He couldn’t do anything for Isaura and it was killing him, tearing his heart out.

At her voice, Theodore looked up, turning to look to her. reaching for him, he reached for her, his grasping fingers suddenly brushing through air, and then she was gone from him, "ISAURA" He bellowed, the word tearing through his throat painfully, ”Isaura!” He rasped, once more having a near death grip on Emily, as if he could defy gravity, as he watched as half of his existence was torn away from him, tears fallen unbidden down his cheeks.

Raymond let out a sigh, fingers fumbling around the “open here” line of a bag of peanuts. “Christ sake!” he’d curse under his breath as the instructions repeatedly failed him. “Alice, your nails are longer can you open this bloody thing?”

“I don’t like this,” hissed Alice for the thousandth time this flight. As a first time flyer, the girl was doing remarkably well at keeping her composure and took the entire ordeal at her own pace. That said, there was a modicum of trust that had to be set in place for anyone to tolerate flying, and it was this trust that Alice had difficulty scrounging up whilst they soared thousands of feet high in the air. She gently took the bag of peanuts and tore the top off with one deft movement, handing the bag back to her guardian mechanically before turning away from him to peer at the rolling landscapes of cloud-tops below her.

“Calm down, sweetheart. Just think of what I told you, it’s like flyin’ with ‘em angels.” he let out a sigh of relief and started picking nuts out of the packet, eyes wandering around the heads poking over their seats.

“I don’t see any angels from up here,” Alice muttered bitterly as she peered over at the clouds, squinting into the distance as if she was close to spotting one. She thumbed her rosary. She sighed. She fidgeted with the threads poking out of the edge of the armrest, then started flicking idly through her copy of Ulysses without really taking in the words on the page. Another sigh, and then her bony fingers dipped into Raymond’s peanut packet uninvited. She chewed on her prize despondently and went back to fidgeting, this time with the flight’s safety manual.

With a smirk, Raymond replied: “They must have gotten sucked into the turbines then.” and stuffed another salted peanut in his maw, leaning over and giving her a friendly nudge with the packet of peanuts extended.

Alice pulled a face and shook her head. “Give it a few decades,” she intoned hollowly, “We’ll get you in that confession booth before you croak it just so God gives you a moment’s hesitation before he drop-kicks you into Hell…” Whilst wry humour was Alice’s new thing, her heart didn’t seem into it. She tipped her head back and clutched onto each arm-rest, taking a few deep breaths.

Raymond gave Alice a couple of glances. He sighed, “Christ, Al, keep that up and I'll get a heart attack by proxy. I thought you said it wasn't scary?”

“The reality of the situation only dawned upon me once we broke the cloud barrier…” Alice murmured softly in response. Raymond slouched back in his chair and patiently munched on peanuts until he emptied the packet and then gave Alice a cursory glance. When he realised she hadn't moved from that position he sighed yet again and started tugging at the neck of his tie. He gave Alice another nudge, prompting the young girl to glance over in his direction as he draped the undone tie around her neck. “Wh…?”

“Gonna teach you something new to pass the time. Maybe then you’ll stop putting dents in the armrests,” quipped Raymond lazily as Alice became aware of how stiff she was and instantly relinquished her grasp on the seat. “The big bit always sits on the right, the small bit on the left. I mean, usually you can tell ‘cause there’s a front and back to these things, but still…”

Alice watched Raymond’s movements with a halfhearted intrigue. She was still bitterly aware of how high up they were for a while, but Raymond’s constantly laid-back demeanour and his gruff, lazy tone of voice had a knack for calming down her rapidly-beating heart. Alice was an overthinker, a worry-wart; she was constantly suspended in a state of anxiety or stasis as her mind flitted incessantly from one thing to the next. With Raymond she could focus; her guardian never showed fear, never worried, even when money was tight or his job security was at risk. He never exaggerated any problems, nor did he tell her off unless it really meant something. Compared to her mother, Raymond was a saint...though she used the term loosely, especially considering that his breath currently stank of cigarette ash, peanuts and scotch from the departure lounge. Perhaps the better way to describe it was that Raymond was sane, and in a world such as Alice’s, sane people were hard to come by. She was snapped out of her reveries by Raymond promptly tugging the tie loose and going “Alright princess, your turn.”

Alice hadn’t been listening but it did not matter, because she had been watching and focusing on the movements of his hands. She could remember them with precise accuracy - looping from underneath, then towards the left, through the back...using the template in her mind’s eye, Alice mimicked Raymond’s movements to tie a windsor knot. “Heh, not bad! Looks a bit wonky but we’ll work on it. By the time we step off this thing, you’ll be one step closer to gettin’ that suit.”

Alice smirked. “Is that still a thing?” she asked amusedly.

“Course it is. You look like a sheet of paper - pale as shit and flatter than a pancake. You’d look pretty damn good in a suit. Besides, I’d love to see the look on your mother’s face when she catches her little angel we-”

They hadn’t noticed the turbulence, too busy toying around with the tie. All of a sudden the plane made an abominable groan and the overhead compartments split open, spilling their contents down the aisle. Alice didn’t scream; she just grabbed a hold of Raymond’s forearm and his calloused palm wrapped around hers and gave it a tight squeeze. He was saying something over and over to her, but she was too panicked to hear him. The explosion sent her body sideways sharply, tethered in place by the seatbelt. Her lips were moving on their own accord; she was praying. She could feel the sounds of “most merciful Jesus, I pray Thee-” on her lips but couldn’t hear her words. They caught in her throat as her guardian lurched over and gave her a tight hug. She could hear him shushing her, trying to calm her even as the plane took a steep downward angle.

Then the plane split and Alice was flung into darkness.

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He wasn’t sure why he was looking out the window - the night sky was just as black as the way he liked his coffee. He had made this trip dozens of times and yet, he never seemed to get used to the time zone jumps that made the days much shorter and the nights much longer. Sighing, Rhett decided that his distractions from confronting the obvious had been well used up. He drew down the window covering and shifted in his seat, his dark eyes looking over the most beautiful creature he had ever set eyes on. And she just happened to be very upset with him.

”Would you like a drink, or... something?”

“..something…” She loved him; but God, he was so infuriating at times. Her attention resting anywhere but on her fiance sitting beside her, legs crossing as she twisted within her own seat, Nadia crossed her arms tighter over her chest; anger still very much clear upon her normally gentle features. Sure… he apologized- multiple times at that. But it didn’t matter. He had left her. Two hours… alone, and with not so much as a phone call- a text message to let her know that he was okay… that nothing bad had happened to him…

After all these years; it was just inexcusable…

Dark eyes narrowing, her attention drifting through the first-class cabin; she slid down in her seat, her body slouching as fell silent, the air hostesses moving about the aisles handing out drinks and snacks to passengers catching the corner of her eye, causing her to openly look towards them.

Rhett inwardly winced. Her bite was much worse than her bark. Much, much worse. And it was his fault. He was supposed to pick her up from the parlor after his shift at the hospital with a promise to take her out to dinner before having to make their flight to Los Angeles to connect them to the flight they were on currently. How was he supposed to know that a twelve-year old kid would be sledding down a hill straight onto the highway? The truck driver never saw the kid coming, and it took Rhett hours to piece him back together like a warm, fleshy puzzle.

He simply lost track of time by saving a life. He could admit that. He could apologize for that. But really now, it had nearly been a full day. She couldn’t be angry with him forever.

Sighing softly (more to himself), Rhett twisted in his seat, motioning towards the stewardess to grab her attention - ordering them a couple of beers. Gods knew he would need it to survive the rest of the flight.

”I promised I’d make it up to you. We’ll land in London, connect to our next flight to Greece, and first thing I’m going to do is take you to that restaurant we love so much. Capiche. You loved it there, remember?” Rhett paused, wondering for half a moment if his compromise was falling on deaf ears. ”And. And I’ll leave mamá at home this time. Just the two of us.”

Unable to help the scoff that passed her lips, she shook her head. Like that was going to happen. She’d believe it when she saw it, and no sooner. Turning her head, looking at him full in the eye for the first time since he had finally picked her up, Nadia shot him a glare well worthy of death himself, making it more than clear that his later words were not helping his case any as she practically spat her response at him, “..I can’t believe you brought her last time anyway- it was meant to be a celebration..! You know, for just us..!”

”Nadi… you know how Mamá is… After Patéras died, she’s… well she hasn’t been the same. I couldn’t just leave her at home alone. She does that enough when I’m not there…”

“We were there for over a month..! One night. That’s all I asked for- one night for just the two of us… was that really going to kill her..?” Turning her head away, breaking the contact between their eyes, Nadia shut her own. She needed to get a handle on herself; there was nothing good that ever came from allowing her emotions to get the better of her like she always seemed to allow when things grew heated, “..it was only my third time in Greece; and it was the longest we’ve ever stayed too… I love Madre- just as much as I love my own, but did you honestly think I just wanted to sit by her side every moment of our trip..?”

Rhett remained silent. They had this argument a handful of times before, though there was never any clear “winner” on the subject. It just made him feel bad, and left her angry. But this particular conversation wasn’t even what she was really angry at right now anyway, not really.

Her eyes opening, her attention drawn towards the stewardess as the beer that had been ordered was placed in front of her, Nadia immediately took to the bottle, lifting it to her lips so that could take a swig of the liquid held within it. Allowing a moment for the alcohol to settle in her stomach before she brought her focus back to the conversation at hand.

“..two hours, Rhett… two hours you left me alone, and in the cold. No call, no text- how do you think I felt..? I didn’t know if you were okay, or… or if-...”

”I know. I know, but baby… I saved that kid’s life…” It’s not like he could have just... stepped away from it…

“I know you did..!” Turning back to him, lowering her beer only to then place it on the tray in front of her, Nadia gazed up at him, her dark eyes holding his own as she shook her head lightly, causing her long and dark raven locks to brush to and fro over her back, “..I know you did, Rhett- and I couldn’t be happier..! I always have, and always will be proud of all the things that you do- all the lives that you sav-...”

There was a slight shift in the aircraft, making both Rhett and Nadia turn their gaze away from one another for a moment to look forward. Though the first class cabin wasn’t small by any means, they could see that the other patrons sitting within their seats seemed to be just as alarmed and alert as they were. The plane was silent, the patrons waiting for something else to happen, but it seemed to never come. Rhett let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding, and continued the conversation.

”This time it will be different, alright? This time-”

The plane shuddered once more, creaking and groaning on the outside of the aircraft before turbulence once more caused them to shift almost violently.

In an instant her hand was on his… her fingers curling as she sought to take hold of it, all anger she felt towards him- towards their argument melting away in light of the present situation they had found themselves in, “..w-wha-... R-Rhett, what’s happening..?”

”I… I’m not sure. I’ll… I’ll go find out.”

If there was anything more terrifying than an irate woman's desperate touch for comfort, Rhett never wanted to experience it. He could simply tell from her voice just how concerned she was, which wasn’t exactly helping his already hammering heart. He had made this flight loads of times… but this was the first time the turbulence had been this bad.

Standing up from his chair, Rhett began stepping across Nadia before the plane shifted again, seeming to drop a few feet before leveling out again. Rhett pressed himself as close to Nadia’s chair as he could, his body forced to squat down and hold onto the armrest for dear life. The lights flickered, and the oxygen masks came falling down. His gaze spotted them, and he felt his entire body freeze. The only thing capable of moving within that very moment were his dark eyes, looking up at his fiance as the color visibly drained from his face.

“..R-Rhett… p-please…”

Soft… pleading… her head lifting, her dark and terrified gaze meeting his own, Nadia shot her hand to once again take hold of his own, her heart pounding with fear. This was-... Her chest heaving with each breath, she shuddered; the realization of what was happening only now beginning to dawn over her features. He knew what she was asking of him… No; what she was begging for him to do…

If this was the end… then she wanted him there… by her side… at least then maybe the belts restraining them in their seats would give them a fighting chance…

Her body twisting, her hand reaching out, she tilted her head, gently caressing his cheek as tears she hadn’t known were forming began to fall, rolling down over her face before falling to dampen the front of her top. All the damn fights… all the arguments- they meant nothing. They never did.

“..I-I love you…”

Sweat began to accumulate at his brow. He was just as terrified as she was showing to be, but he couldn’t let her see that. He had to be strong. For both of them.

Forcing his hands to let go of the armrest, Rhett raised them up to hold each side of her face, encouraging her to look down into his eyes. He could see the tears spilling from hers, and his entire soul began to ache. It took everything within him to not just stand up and pull her into his arms, simply holding her for their last moments like she wanted. No, he had to give her hope. He had to give himself hope.

”It’s going to be okay, Nadia. Everything is going to be fine, okay?” he told her with much more confidence than he even knew he had in that moment. He used his thumbs to brush away her tears. ”Everything is going to be just-”

The compartments overhead began to rattle and in some cases, bang. Rhett stared them down, as if daring them to burst open. They did.

Standing from his position quickly, Rhett held himself over Nadia, putting his hands on either armrest with his back hunched and head bowed, just over the top of hers, keeping her shielded. The plane was tilting making his position more and more difficult, but Rhett remained strong. He saw nothing but the back of her seat, though the sound of people’s luggage being thrown this way and that - crashing into miscellaneous things and assaulting his back let him know that he had made the right decision. Though not being hit by anything lethal, he was sure that there would be a half-dozen bruises when this was all said and done. At least he was protecting her. The plane was going down for sure, but they could make it. They always made it through the tough times… together.

”See?” Rhett said to her through grit teeth, feeling his footing starting to slip. ”Nothing to i-”

That was when it happened.

The sheer force of the deafening blast coming from somewhere behind them; she felt her body press firmly against his own. Shutting her eyes, her hands shooting up to cling desperately to the front of his top, Nadia’s face scrunched up in pain, the tight restraint of the buckle over her waist the only thing keeping her planted in her seat as they were thrown about. He’d said that everything was okay… that they were going to be fine…

..she knew he was just being brave for her…

The ringing in her ears… it was unbearable. Opening her eyes slowly, her soft lips parting from one another, she turned her head, her fuzzy gaze moving to watch as those around her opened and closed their mouths in silence. It was there… the fear written so clearly over their features, as though they were screaming- yelling for help. But she couldn’t hear them… why couldn’t she hear..?

Panic flicking over her face, her head shaking back and forth in denial, Nadia’s breath hitched in her throat, her chest moving quicker with each moment as she strained her ears; doing her best to hear something… anything that was going on around them.

Rhett was looking down at her, trying to get her to meet his eyes once again - trying to keep her focus on anything but the chaos of what was going on around them. He was losing her to a panic attack; he could see it from miles away. She never really did well with stress…

Shrapnel, amongst everything else, was flying, but Rhett refused to leave his protective stance over her. He tried speaking to her again, but his words were lost to the dull ringing in her ears.

He froze. Blood suddenly splattered over her entire front - the majority being directly over her heart. Rhett sucked in a soft, gurgling breath, any color left in his face completely drained as realization dawned upon him. His dark eyes looked down to his abdomen where his shirt was stained with blood far worse than Nadia’s. A sharp, flat piece of the plane could be seen sticking out from within his breast, having entered his body from his back, skewering him all the way through. Shakily, he lifted his head back up to look at his fiance, eyes wide and fearful before his body slumped down into the isle of the plane soaking the cream-colored carpet with his blood.

The ringing in her ear dulling, replaced instead by the shrill sound of her scream filling the cabin; Nadia’s blood splattered body shook. This couldn’t be happening… this just… this just couldn’t be happening…

Hands already on the belt, fumbling to release the buckle keeping her strapped into her seat, she shot a quick glance down at his body lain in the aisle. Her heart screaming for her to do something, the tears she had been shedding blurring her vision, she broke free; her body lifting instantly from the seat only long enough for her to drop to her knees at his side, her hands shaking… hovering over the injury for but a moment before she forced them down, pressing over what little of the wound she could get to without touching or agitating the shrapnel.

Pressure..! That was it, wasn’t it..? He had always said something about applying pressure to an open wound..! At least… at least, that’s what she thought it was…

Gods, she hoped she was right about this…

“..n-no… no, no, no, no, no- don’t you dare leave me, Rhett..!” Turning her head, staring at him through fear-filled eyes, Nadia spoke softly; pleading. She couldn’t lose him; she couldn’t… not now; not like this, “..what-... what do I do..? P-Please, Rhett… tell me… tell me what to do..!”

”...l-live...”

The red haired woman rested quite comfortably in her seat, despite the fact the plane was full. She was of average height, and curled nicely in her seat, snuggled against the wall, looking out the window. She watched the clouds move by the plane, and let her mind wonder. Hopefully, her flight back would be filled with the joy of having successfully gained a long term job, and a grant. The money would be welcome, but she was more interested in the project… if she could pull it off… she’d change the world. So she was nervous, filled with anticipation and excitement as she went through the presentation in her hand, again and again, fiddling with a small cube more commonly known as a Fidget cube, which she’d had before the craze- honestly, why couldn’t people leave well enough alone when they didn’t need the things? She absolutely refused to get a Fidget Spinner- they were for those that needed it, not for those that just had them cause they were “Cool”. She sighed to herself, rolling her finger over the ball, hearing the excited cry of a child, and the soft murmur of a voice, perhaps reassuring them.

Lavena smiled to herself, shifting from her position to glance about her, leaning forward just slightly to check her case was still under her seat, just as things seemed to go pear shape. Turbulence rocked the plane, perhaps the most violent she had ever come across, and she immediately sat up straight, buckling her belt on, she gripped the fidget cube tightly in her left hand, feeling her heartbeat speed up. For the first time she realised just how small a plane was. And that it was metal, flying in the air. Even though she knew how it worked, knew how a plane could fly, suddenly Lavena found herself utterly terrified, and she closed her eyes tightly.

As it steadily became worse, Lavena dug her fingernails into the palm of her right hand, the nails cutting into her skin, warm blood flowing around her fingers, dripping steadily onto her leg, the ground. She shook violently, ”It’s going to be okay” she whispered to herself, over and over again, as if by saying it and wishing it so, she could make it so. Then the plane made sounds that Lavena knew she never wanted to hear, ever again, had never wanted to hear on a flight. Groaning, creaking... was that breaking? Rattling- was her luggage going to fall? And why was she worrying about that?

Her breathing came hard and fast, short and shallow, and she recognised that she was panicking, she could feel her heart beating furiously fast, as if it actually wanted to burst out of her chest, and the sickly powerful feeling of adrenaline, the need to run, but there was nowhere to run on this stupid metal box. As the explosion rocketed the ship, Lavena screamed, the raw, primal scream tearing through her throat painfully, and she drew in a breath to let out another one, but she was near sobbing now.

Each breath that she managed to get in was painful, and they were exploded out into sobs. This wasn’t something she could fight- there was no way she could beat the plane up and tell it to get its ass back into line. It just wasn’t possible. She couldn’t do anything, and she hated the feeling of helplessness, the feeling of fear nearly paralysing her. This wasn’t who she was, but she couldn’t get her body to obey her.

She was huddled in her seat, eyes closed tightly, shaking, and hyperventilating. She couldn’t stop it. The thuds of the luggage falling jolted her into some semblance of action, as she searched for her own bag, her eyes, red and stinging, opened as she searched. She swallowed, her throat still painful- was it possible to make your throat bleed by yelling?- her fingers reaching for the clasp, to unbuckle herself, her blood making the buckle slippery. It took a few seconds, but she managed to do it, her need to make sure her prototype was okay overpowering the fear, for a moment at least.

And then her case slipped out, and down the aisle. She stumbled, and fell into the lap of the guy next to her, the old guy probably thinking all his dreams had come true as she just about ended face up in his lap, before she managed to get back to her feet, stumbling towards the isle, she fell into the luggage, and in moments she had her black case in her hands, the waterproof case seeming to be alright. She huddled there, shaking and shivering, tears falling down her face, sobs still coming out violently. She rose to her feet shakily, and for a moment she didn’t think her legs would support her weight, they felt so weak. She was just about to get back to her seat, when the plane began to tear apart.

She gripped the case with one arm, the other, dropping the fidget cube, snatched at the arm of the chair closest to her, as some girl was thrown out the plane, towards the darkness below. Within seconds, Lavena knew that she would follow the girl, her grip weakening on the chair by the sheer force of it, her fingers slipping. One last sob escaped her, as her hand was torn away from the seat, her body slamming into the chairs on the other side painfully, and she thought hard enough to crack a rib or two, before she was flung to the ground, sliding towards the tear in the plane, she tried to reach for something, anything else, to keep her on the plane, but it was impossible.

---

---

"Veronica! Did you want another?"

It was a chant of curious encouragement from the other side of the dimly lit floor space. Leather top stools, waist high tables, and a bar that erected itself grandly within the compounds of a club walls. Little could be heard over the bustling conversations and dynamic music that echoed through the air, a noise forcing Veronica to motion to her friend with an eagerly raised finger of 'one'—an unintentional command to a loyal slave who was funding her night of alcoholism.

There was, of course, a reason for this loyal patronism to the blonde haired maiden, a farewell for these people would see Veronica for the last time before she ventured forth, out into the world beyond the compound of the town and orphanage she grew up in.

"So tell me. Why the UK? Isn't it just filled with... rain, cold, and tea?" A bemused question from the male opposite the table, sitting with a bottle in hand and the other holding tenderly onto the hip of his female companion. She swayed and moved whilst within his grasp, fidgeting to the beat while still keeping engaged with the conversation at hand.

"The UK isn't all cups of tea and rain, you dope," a mid-dance, light-hearted backhand connected with the chest of the ill-informed boyfriend, "You've got the queen there too. Miss Royalty herself."

Veronica chucked at her two friends, watching the over dramatisation of the English and the hand gestures that suggested something a little queer. "It's a little more than that, but sure... if that's what you want to believe."

The couple sniggered with delight just as their attention was taken away by a party member who returned from her quest. "Kristy!" A beckoning call from the horrible imitator of the English, "Where the bloody 'ell have you been? Young lassie here 'as been waiting for her ale!"

"Sorry Ronnie," the young friend pounced over to the girl, wrapping her arms around her friend while gently bringing the night's toxin to Veronica's mouth. It was a forceful action, but one in which the captivated individual welcomed so comfortably. Veronica tasted the sweet scent of lime and earthy, hazelnut liqueur; rough and harsh as it flowed relentlessly into her body. "You know I wouldn't ever keep you waiting too long," Kristy continued as she gently stroked her finger across the chin of her bestie.

Veronica felt euphoric, a sense of arousal washed over her body, but she remained as calm and collected as humanly possible. Kristy, an old partner to Veronica, was a break-up a year ago over nothing more than spilt milk. Unbeknownst to the former lover it was one of the many decisions which lead to this very evening and the decision to move abroad. Away from the memories of the past in the hopes of creating some new ones.

"Would love to—" Veronica lied, "—but I'm leaving in the morning." A truth to solidify the future events, that not even one last temptation was going to change the will she had formulated so hard.

A booming laugh erupted from the only male within this congregation. "Well it seems Kristy can't even seduce you into staying." Even he could tell what the succubus was trying to achieve, "You know you two could have some fun..." and just like that he played the reverse psychology card.

Veronica gave an unimpressed look upon the man, a silent message informing him it would be best to be quiet. "It's still more than what you'll be getting."

"Ouch!" He clutched his chest, "A knife through my very heart." Over-dramatised attention which lead to a second slap to the chest by his own partner.

"Keep acting like that and it'll be nothing for a month."

"You too? These women! Why!? What did poor Marko do to deserve this treatment."

The girlfriend rolled her eyes before looking over to Veronica, redirecting the topic to something more pressing. "You almost ready for us to drop you off at the airport?"

Veronica nodded, throwing down the rest of her drink before plonking the glass on the table. "Mmm, yeah. I'm ready for anything."


Not even the screams could be heard over the rush and sudden de-pressurisation of the plane cabin. A frantic motion as Veronica desperately reached up above herself to try and grasp the yellow oxygen mask. To any observant onlooker she would appear very much like a cat playing with a toy, but a cat would never be in a life of death situation where their toy was the only obstacle preventing it from passing out.

The fingertips grabbed onto the rubber and before Veronica even had a full grasp she was already tugging the device down towards her face, pressing the mask over her lips and nose as she quickly flipped the elastic band around her skull. An enormous inhale and she could fill her lungs start to fill with air and concentration. Her eyes darted around to observe the situation at hand knowing full well that this was it, she was never going to make it to London.

This was not the new start she was hoping for; a thought that passed through her mind as she held onto the arms of her seat, gripping into them with a hold that could bend steel. All she wanted, everything she was dreaming of, was crashing down all around her, plunging her into a depths of which she had no understanding how deep and shocking they would become.

---

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---

---

He had been taking a nap.

Rudely jostled awake by the plane’s turbulence, Cyrus’ wide, surprised eyes looked around the plane, watching as everyone around him seemed to be alarmed at the same thing. The atmosphere was deathly quiet - an ominous silence that was always awkward given any situation, but he could practically feel the fear radiating off his fellow fliers as the unknown moments continued to tick on; everyone wondering if it would be their last.

Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea in the world to try and finish off a bottle of scotch before getting into the taxi for the airport. But in good conscious, Cyrus couldn’t simply toss it out, either.

He had left home. Selling everything that his greedy (soon to be) ex-wife could get her hands on, Cyrus spent every last penny to his name on the one-way ticket to London, England where he was throwing in his last-stitch effort to still be something. His company had gone bankrupt and his wife cheating on him with his own cousin - all for the sake of money. He stopped bringing home the cash, and she stopped putting out and found it elsewhere. He couldn’t blame her for that, but it did strike a bit of a raw nerve that she had decided to hit so close to home for it.

So as he went through the house that they had lived in for twenty years one last time, Cyrus had the slightest amount of intuition that told him to check the liquor cabinets and lo and behold, his special bottle of scotch that hadn’t been opened since that New Years remained safe and snug. He couldn’t take it with him, and he couldn’t pour it out. So deciding to help self-medicate the emotional pain of his situation away, he finished it, called a taxi, contacted what little contacts he had left for confirmation, and set off for London.

It took him a considerable amount of time to get settled once in the air. He was anxious, and hot. The girl he had been seated next to wouldn’t stop fidgeting which kept him on the wake of sleep and consciousness for hours until finally the alcohol had won out in the end. The young red-head could continue to fidget nervously with that stupid cube all she wanted and he would have been none the wiser.

But turbulence, it seemed, had other plans in store. He would not be sleeping the rest of the way to London.

Shifting in his seat awkwardly as the plane lurched suddenly, sending the young girl’s face into his lap, Cyrus simply stared down at her during the rather awkward (and who was he kidding, somewhat exhilarating) situation as she desperately tried to scramble out of his lap.

The downfall of the aircraft didn’t wait for the young woman to have her moment, however, and Cyrus watched, absolutely helpless as to what was going on as the plane became more and more unstable around him. The plane was going down. Now. That much was certain.

He listened and observed as those around him went into a panic - some screaming, other’s crying or shouting… even praying. But Cyrus remained completely silent. If the plane’s end were for it to crash, then what could any one person do about it? What could any of them do about it?

The young girl attempted to leave her seat at his side, though he was unsure as to why. Even for her luggage that she was trying to chase; it wasn’t like she, or it, had anywhere to go, really, other than out. And then the plane tore.

He couldn’t tear his eyes away as he watched her grab onto the arm of the closest seat to her, hoping that it would be her saving grace as gravity and the sheer wind force were determined to suck her out of the plane. It got… painful to watch, really, and before Cyrus really even knew what he was doing, he was unbuckling his belt, got down onto his hands and knees and anchored himself as best as he could by rolling onto his side, hooking his knees under the plane seat and reached out, grabbing her hand just as she slipped.

”Hold on.” he told her, realizing just how obvious his words were. ”We’re going to ride this one out.”

---

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---

---

The wind whipping past her as she fell, Isaura shut her eyes, letting go of her body as she allowed the thought of death to consume her. This was it… this was the end. The roaring silence of the raging waters was almost as deafening as the explosion that she had heard hitting the plane as she came into contact with the ocean, the freezing cold temperatures of the waves only helping to cement her thoughts as they pulled her under, dragging her down into the abyss that was waiting below.

Her body was aching… worse than ever before. The sharp pain from the sudden impact with the water starting in her back, before slowly, it began to spread outwards through her limbs only helping to make her feel worse. This wasn’t the way she wanted to go- not the way she had imagined it. She hadn’t gotten married… she hadn’t had kids of her own-...

She hadn’t lived.

Opening her eyes as the burning in her throat became more noticeable due to the lack of oxygen, she lifted her hand, her face scrunching up in a panicked fear as she pressed her palm against the front of her neck, frantically looking around in the darkness for any sign of which way was up.

That’s when she saw it… a gentle orange glow pulsing from somewhere just above her. It had to be the right way; there was no way it couldn’t be. Forcing herself to push past the pain and fatigue that began to consume her body, she began to kick her legs, her arms both scooping madly through the water as she headed towards the light; her lungs working overtime to suck in a deep breath the very moment that she managed to breach the surface. Taking a moment to rest, and to gather even the smallest shred of energy that she was going to need in order to find a way out of the water, Isaura turned, her head moving on a swivel as she searched the surrounding ocean, her legs kicking back and forth as she continued to wade, doing what she could to keep her head above the waves.

“..T-Theo…”

Her voice hoarse as she spoke, she widened her eyes, watching on in horror as the plane, or what was left of it, plunged down into the icy depths, taking with it the only two people in the world that she cared about at that moment, “..n-no… Theo..!”

Fighting against the constant back and forth of the ocean currents trying to carry her further out, she began to swim, her legs kicking hard behind her as she began to close the large gap that was between her and the wreck, her eyes darting about frantically as she searched for survivors of any kind- anyone besides her, though her mind was set strong on finding Theodore and Emily…

She wasn’t going to lose them… s-she couldn’t…

---

---

As the explosion continued to rocket the plane, Theodore kept his grip on Emily, unwilling to let her be ripped away from him as well, his gaze on the spot where Isaura had been, only to be torn away. He could hear his heart beating in his ears, and he tore his eyes away, looking to Emily, knowing she was terrified, and unable to do anything about it. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tightly, looking to give her any comfort he could, as they plummeted towards the ocean.

Some part of Theodore that wasn’t filled with fear, with heartbreak, remained calm. He had heard stories of people surviving plane crashes by staying in their seats, but the looming ocean rising up to greet them told him there would be no surviving if they were buckled in. They’d drown, and the last thing he’d see was Emily gasping for air. He twisted, releasing his death grip on Emily, to reach down, and pull at her seat belt, gripping the clasp tightly, he watched the water continue to grow, the length of the ocean widening, becoming more vast, and closer as they drew nearer and nearer.

”Make your way to the top, Emily” He said in her ear, his voice rough, ”And I’ll come find you” As they met the water, Theodore pressed on Emily’s clasp, releasing her, and shoving her out the seat, towards the ocean, ”Get clear, Emily! Get clear!” He cried, fumbling with his own seatbelt, he didn’t see where she went under, and he closed his eyes, hoping he hadn’t just killed his sister. The tears he hadn’t let fall in front of his sister unable to be denied any longer, and when he opened his eyes again, it made it nearly impossible to see.

As the plane hit the water, the cabin- or what was left of it- began to fill with the biting cold, his fingers, sore from his earlier attempts to try and tear his own seatbelt off, fumbled with the buckle once more. He tried not to panic, tried to keep his breathing even, so as not to make his situation worse, but he couldn’t hold it at bay. What if… What if Isaura was dead? Who would look after Emily? How was she going to survive in this terrifyingly cold ocean? Once, twice, he gripped the clasp weakly, trying to free himself as the water continued to rise. He tried not to focus on other passengers as they struggled to free themselves as well, tried not to focus on how cold, how rapidly numb he was becoming as the water rose, seeking to cover him completely. His fingers struggled even more with the clasp as the water made everything harder.

His last breath was more a gasp, as the water rose above his head. As the cold sapped his energy, the last dregs of warmth leaving his body, Theodore knew that he would die in that seat. He just… He had to believe that both Emily and Isaura were alive… He had to die thinking that. His fingers grasped the clasp once more, his body striving to expel the air in his lungs, and bring in a fresh replacement, he finally freed himself. His body rose out his seat, and he had to turn away from others, still trapped, knowing that he was leaving them to doom, to death by drowning.

His lungs burning, growing ever painful with each passing second, Theodore kicked, trying to go for a powerful push that would take him out the plane. The cold sunk into his bones, to the point where he thought he might never get warm again. Was that how death felt like, the sapping of every last ounce of warmth, the furious need to breath, but being unable to? The pain of being torn apart from the only people you loved in this world? His eyes stung, but he refused to close them.

He kicked again, clearing the wreckage. His lungs were furiously demanding oxygen, and he knew that if he opened his mouth, that would be the end. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake, he needed to reach the surface, before his body overruled him, and sought the much needed air it was telling him he needed. He couldn’t swim down…

But he couldn’t tell which way was up.

Panic filling his brain even more- if that was even possible- Theodore kicked again, before he stopped moving. Some instinctual part of him told him, reminded him, that humans floated. For one horrible moment, he thought he had got that wrong, remembered wrong, or maybe his instincts were just rebelling as his body grew more and more angry at him. And then he slowly rose, and he kicked upwards. The last little bit of air he had in his lungs expelling, to blow a small trail of bubbles into the water, swallowed up by the bubbles his movements created. His lungs furiously demanded that he breath, and he fought that instinct, that natural mechanism.

Just a little bit longer, he told himself, a little bit longer, and then he could breath all he liked. A little bit longer, and he could find Isaura and Emily. Please… don’t let him have killed his little sister…

When his head broke the surface, he almost didn’t believe it, his lung sucking in the blessed, sweet air in several gasping gulps, before he expelled it in one long shout, ”ISAURA, EMILY!” It wasn’t as strong as he would have liked, his abused throat, the shout drawing out into a near whisper, his tears stinging, and he furiously reached up to wipe his eyes, as he desperately looked about, for any sort of familiar silhouette.

”Please… be okay… “

---

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---

The groaning grew louder, and with it, Nadia leant herself further over his body, her grip tightening as she felt them slipping, the plane tilting at an unnatural angle causing them to fall from the aisle, and into the icy cold depths below them. This-... This wasn’t happening… this couldn’t be happening- not to them; not now. There were so many things they still needed to do together… travel around and see the world… get married- oh God, their wedding was in only three days time..!

No; she couldn’t lose him- she loved him..!

Shutting her eyes tightly as they plunged down into the dark waters together, she held her breath, her lungs burning with a searing pain she had never felt before in her life as she tried to make sense of it all. She couldn’t… what was there to make sense of..? None of them wanted this- they never deserved this fate. So why was it they had been forsaken like this..? Refusing to let the ill thoughts of fate consume and panic her, she shifted her grip, her arms leaving his body for only a few moments before they were wrapped back around Rhett once more, though this time from behind. She wasn’t going to leave him- no matter what he said; she wasn’t about to let go so easily.

Doing what she could to remain as calm as she could possibly manage through the fear dancing behind her eyes, she hurried to look about through the water; the gentle orange glow of what she assumed was flames catching her attention, and immediately, she was on the move, forcing her searing and tired limbs to work overtime as she kicked through the waters, slowly though surely dragging the both of them up until they were able to break through the surface together, her lungs viciously protesting against her as she sucked in a large breath of fresh salty sea air.

Rhett inhaled a deep breath, only to sputter and cough as what remaining water seeped down into his windpipe. Air - that was all he could comprehend. He was breathing (albeit painfully and with a lot of salt in his lungs) and alive. The plane had not killed them. But as soon as that thought registered, unimaginable pain ripped through his entire core, sustaining around the entry and exit wound of the shrapnel that had impaled him back on the plane. He wasn’t clear yet - and his fading vision started to make sense once more.

“N-Nadi…” Rhett was wheezing, air suddenly very hard to come by after his first few breaths after breaking the ocean’s surface. She was all that mattered - he had to know that she was safe - that she would make it. But as his mind slowly came to terms with things going on around him, he was then very aware of a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. Nadia. She refused to give him up, despite his words. She was a fighter and he loved her for it. But the second she started to struggle…

Where were they, anyway? Reason told him that any moment, the amount of blood he was spilling into the ocean would alert any shark within three miles of their location. And… their location was where? Even with the light of the fire from the plane illuminating through the dark, Rhett could see nothing. So if he was not to be doomed by impalement or a plane crashing down from the sky, then it was to be by drowning.

She had to get him out of the water- she wasn’t about to lose him; not to anything. Nadia’s fear-filled dark eyes shooting wildly around them for a moment, she paused, allowing her mind to wander back over the safety instructions that had been issued by the stewards on the plane… something about life rafts, follow the lights on the ground; bracing yourself in your seat with your head on your lap, or as close to it as could be- none of that was going to help her now..!

Letting out a hoarse yell of frustration, she turned her head away, her gaze falling upon a few of the seat cushions that had come loose during the crash- they were floating… the small though unmistakable sense of hope filling her body, she once more adjusted her hold around the man she loved, making sure that he was laying on his back as she began to pull them towards the cushions, her hand reaching out, straining for a moment before she was able to get a hold of one, dragging it over them and slipping it down and under him as she moved to grab the next one.

“..almost-... almost there baby- just, please… please hold on…”

The salt water against his wounds was excruciating. Rhett grit his teeth, refusing to cry out in pain knowing that it would only worry his fiance even more. He was beginning to see spots in his vision - both black and white though he was never able to concentrate on one of them long enough to identify their color at their precise moment. He was a doctor, sure, but he didn’t have to diagnose himself to know that it wasn’t particularly a good sign.

Clutching onto the floating seat (though now somewhat submerged due to his weight), Rhett tried to relax his body as best as he could - struggling would only bleed him out faster. She wanted him to hold on. To what, he didn’t know. But if it gave her hope, he would endure. He would endure every last painful breath he could take into his body for her. So long as she lived. She had to live.

A bark - Rhett lifted his head, his heavy eyes scanning through the darkness towards where he thought he had heard the sound. Over all of the screaming and pleadings for help, a single bark stuck out to him enough for him to expel enough energy to want to seek it out. There was a pause, another bark and then a series of whines and splashing.

“Boris…” Their dog he had brought on their trip with them. He had been issued to the undercarriage - sedated and easily transportable. He didn’t even think about him until now. Sure there may have been other passengers transporting their dogs, but Rhett knew his dog enough to know what Boris sounded like. It was definitely him. He survived, just like the rest of them. But to what end?

Turning her head back as the sound of the familiar bark hit her ears, Nadia searched the waters surrounding them for any sign of their beloved dog. Boris was just as much part of their family as any other, and if anything was to happen to him… she knew that Rhett would never forgive himself… Shutting her eyes tightly for a moment as if to shove the very thought from her mind, she let her attention draw back around to her fiance as she felt him move over the cushions, her hand automatically lifting to press lightly over his chest in an effort to try and still him.

She had to keep calm… for him; she had to be the strong one right now…

“..I-I’ll get him… try not to move…” Her voice was soft… weak. It hurt to talk, but she had to let him know that she wasn’t going to be giving up anything, not without a fight.

“N-Nadi, no…”

Pushing away from him, she turned in the water, her face scrunching up in concentration as she strained her ears, once more searching for the bark as she fought against the waves, her body pushing through them as she forced herself to swim in the direction she could hear Boris struggling against the current.

Rhett could only watch as Nadia swam away from him, determined to rescue the third part of their small family. Without Boris, they had nothing to remind them that they could be a happy family - one even without children. But still, Rhett didn’t believe that the dog was worth her risking her own life.

“..Boris..!” At the sound of his name, the canine looked over, his terrified whimpers causing her heart to sink as she pushed herself harder… faster through the water, eventually managing to wrap her arm around his middle- by God, he was heavy… since when had he gotten this heavy..? That was it; the minute they managed to get home (if they ever got home), he was going on a damn diet. Struggling for a moment as the dog squirmed against her body, she groaned, her legs kicking back and forth to keep her up as she lifted him over her shoulder, holding him in place with a single arm as she began the tiring swim back to where she had left Rhett laying over the cushions.

As much as he wanted to be impressed, all Rhett could see was her struggle. She was getting tired and weak - the one-hundred plus pound, scared dog not helping her in the least. While he knew she was a fighter until the very end, if she died because of that damn dog...

“Nadia… please…” He could taste blood in his mouth - a very metallic-bitter taste combined with the salt water that washed up into his face with every pulse the ocean fought back from the plane crash with.

It was getting harder to go on; but she had to. She didn’t have a choice; or at least, not one that she was ever going to be happy with. Her whole body practically screaming at her in protest to all she was doing, she fought on, pushing herself forward until she once more reached his side, her eyes closing and her free arm lifting up onto the cushions beside him to help keep her above the surface while her legs began to slow underneath her.

She was tired… so very damn tired… but she couldn’t give up; not like this…

“..Rhett… I’m gunna-... I’m gunna find a way to get us out of the water, okay..? Please… please, just hold on baby…” Taking another moment to just rest, Nadia forced her head to lift back up, her dark eyes opening allowing the reflection of the flames to dance lightly over the surface of them as she looked around them, searching for something she could use- anything that would get them out of the water.

Her head dropping slightly as the cold winds changed direction blowing the smoke and ash towards them, she narrowed her eyes, her legs kicking slowly back and forth under her before a glint of pale yellow caught her attention through the grey smoke. No way… was that..? All the way out here, in the middle of the ocean..? Her eyes shutting completely, she buried her head into the inside of her elbow, her coughs coming out spluttered… chesty; causing her already pained throat to hurt even more. Turning her attention back to where she thought she had seen something once her small bout of coughing had come to a rather painful end, Nadia once more narrowed her eyes, squinting through the smoke in an attempt to see, “..I think-... I think I see something… a lighthouse…”

Rhett slowly lifted his heavy head up from the somewhat submerged seat cushion that was acting as a floatation device. A… a lighthouse? All the way out here? Rhett tried to see what it was that his fiance was seeing, but was unable to. Was his vision getting blurry? Or was it getting darker? The fact that he couldn’t tell began to worry him some.

“I… I need to lay down…”

“Soon baby… soon- and then we’ll get you all fixed up; I promise…” Things were becoming worse; and it was more than obvious that she had to make a choice sooner rather than later. But that was the problem… what if she made the wrong decision..? Things could get worse than they already were; but if she didn’t choose soon-...

She didn’t even want to think about it…

Scrunching up her face in a silent prayer that she wasn’t wrong, Nadia forced her tired legs to move fast back and forth, her attention lifting to where she could see what she hoped was the looming structure of a lighthouse as she began to move the three of them in the right direction, her movements slower than ever before due to being weighed down by the dog and having to push her fiance; though she didn’t care, “..I’m not about to lose you, Rhett…”

He could feel his body gliding slowly through the ice-cold water, though the reason behind why he could no longer feel his legs was uncertain anymore. He was forgetting things - why they were on a plane and where they were headed. Really there was only one thing he was absolutely certain of. Turning his head with great effort, he watched as Nadia pushed them all forward through the water, Boris even too scared and cold to whimper anymore. He smiled.

“I love you, Nadi.”

That smile… it was heartbreaking, and as much as she had been trying, the tears she had been fighting back once more began to well in her eyes, only helping to blur her vision as she maneuvered them slowly through the flames and debris of the crash, the once hazy figure of the lighthouse eventually coming into focus as it towered over them.

“I-...” She wanted to say it- to tell him that she loved him too, but she just couldn’t. It felt too much like a goodbye. Tearing her gaze away from his for a moment, she let her terrified dark eyes flick up to the lighthouse as they approached it, the waves slowly calming down to almost nothing with each inch they drew closer, “..I was right… Rhett, I was right- it’s a lighthouse. We’re going to be fine- you’re going to be fine…”

---

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---

She knew she was a goner. Knew it with every fiber of her being, as she tumbled towards the rift in the plane that was tearing apart by the force of whatever had happened, by the fall and whatever else was going on. Lavena cursed herself for a fool, she should have stayed in her seat- it would have cushioned her impact into the ocean… but then there was the chance she wouldn’t be able to get herself free. She had struggled so hard with just getting out before, without the added pressure of water. Either way, she was a goner and there was no use contemplating that. There was no way she could survive the fall, and even if she did, how injured would she be? How could she survive in the cold? Her mind worked frantically, simply to keep herself from falling into despair and utterly breaking down.

She was going to die, and she’d face it with her head held high.

”Hold on.” Someone’s voice, nearby, pierced the gloom that was steadily settling on her and she blinked, glancing about and seeing the old man she had falling into minutes before. Minutes? It suddenly felt like years. She stared at him in confusion, her mind rapidly trying to make sense of what was going on. ”We’re going to ride this one out.” She blinked again, before her mind registered that he was trying to help her, and she grasped his hand. She knew it was hopeless. Knew that one good bump of turbulence- fuck, it was really just falling now- would jolt her way. Or the pressure would have the seat tearing away from the plane. The plane was going to tear apart, she knew that. That terrible grinding… She gripped tightly to the man and her case. And then her fingers, sweaty with fear began to lose their grip on the man, her hand slowly slipping from his until her fingers lost traction.

She didn’t scream as she fell. She met the man’s gaze, knowing they were going to die. Yet grateful that he had tried to save her. She would die knowing that someone’s last act had been to try and keep her alive. And what more could she ask for? Oh. Right. Maybe to actually live?

And then the scream came as she fell towards the ocean, tearing from her throat to end in a breathless cry as she plunged straight into the ocean, slamming just like she knew she would painfully against the water. She dropped like a stone, still holding her case, now tightly against her, wondering if she was being a fool for doing so. If she was dead, what use was it to her? But she just couldn’t let it go. It was her life. It meant too much to her.

As she seemed to sink forever, Lavena tried to orientate herself, but the pressing closeness of the water, the blackness, the way it enveloped her and seemed to want to drag her down… the way her lungs were burning… Lavena knew that she would probably die. She kicked wildly, hoping that she was going the right way, even as she recognised the hopelessness of the situation.

She was going to die here.

Her eyes stung, whether from the saltwater or her own tears, she didn’t know. She wanted to close her eyes, and to just give up… Fear clutched her, squeezing her heart, and for a moment, she couldn’t tell the difference between then, and the past. A silent scream of fear and rage escaped her. She was not a helpless child. Not anymore.

Bags floated around her, handbags and other such bags spilling their contents, and Lavena tried to ignore the shapes of bodies around her, her lungs burning, she wasn’t sure if her eyes were going black from lack of oxygen, or if it was just water pressing on her. She kicked wildly, and held onto her case with one arm, using the air to try and propel herself up. She crashed into… something that was sharp, she didn’t know what, causing a swallow cut to appear across her brow, blood leaking into the water, the salt stinging it painfully.

She was nearly ready to give up, her body refusing to work properly, and her mouth opened against her will, water filling the space, forcing its way into her throat. She tried coughing, which just made things worse.

Her eyes continued to fade into blackness, even as she kicked feebly.

Her body reacted instinctively as she broke the surface, bringing in great gulps of air that probably made her look like a fish out of water, gasping, and then coughing violently, watery blood falling into her eyes. The coughs racked her, her body shaking with the force violently, until everything in her stomach came up, purging itself into the water, she cried weakly, reaching up to wipe her mouth, tears rolling down her face, a horrible taste in her mouth.

She could hear others crying, calling out to people, but she couldn’t seem to get enough air, enough energy, to call back. It took all her strength to hold her case, and stay afloat.

She was alive. And that was something to cherish. She reached up with her free hand to press it against the wound along her forehead, grimacing, as she looked around, ”H-hello?” she called weakly. She could swear she heard a dog, and there was someone else screaming... Voices?

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Jordan stared at the window of her seat, trying to ignore the people around her, particularly the mouth breather beside her that seemed to want to compete with the noise the plane made. She tried to push it all aside, but she was nervous. More nervous then she ever had been before. She wondered at the wisdom of having chosen a window seat when she was afraid of heights. What had ever possessed her to do that? Sadly staring out the window was a crap ton better than staring at her fellow passengers. Even if it was making her somewhat dizzy to do so. It wasn’t that bad, really. There was something almost magical about flying over the clouds, as long as she didn’t think about the fact that she was hundreds, if not thousands, of feet in the air. Which of course she was now thinking about. Trying to make herself appear smaller in her seat, she brought her knees up to her chest to perched there. She wrapped her arms around her knees, and rested her head on them, her cheek pressed against the top of one knee as she continued to look out the window.

The mouth breather continued to grow annoying as his sounds grew louder. Was the man actually asleep? How could anyone sleep on this flying tincan? Weren’t they afraid of falling? She had to reason with herself that not everyone was as neurotic as she was about flying. Other people actually enjoyed it. Somewhat crazy people, she was sure. Turning her gaze so she was instead staring at the back of the seat in front of her, Jordan let out a soft sigh. She closed her eyes, intending on getting some sleep. At least she was quieter than the mouth breather. Or so she hoped. She closed her eyes tightly as some sort of turberlance began, and a small whimper escaped her. She never understood turbulence. What, did they hit a bump in the air? She understood that that was the basic concept of it, but… how?

As more turbulence hit them, she shook slightly, fear freezing her limbs. She hadn’t put her seatbelt back on, even as she wondered if she should do it right then her body wouldn’t obey her. Instead, she clutched her knees tighter, another whimper escaping her. She knew that planes had periods of rough patches, but that did nothing to still the rising panic attack she felt within her. She tried to focus on her breathing, knowing she couldn’t really flip out… but it became harder and harder to contain the panic as the turbulence continued. Was it even turberlance? She was starting to doubt that. Was the plane having difficulty flying?

It just became progressively worse, and Jordan let out another whimper, opening her eyes a fraction, flicking her gaze around. Incredibly, the mouth breather was still asleep. She would have thought he’d died, if it hadn’t been for the noise he was making. How did he not wake himself up? It amazed her, and for a moment, that took her mind of the planes difficulties. Until turbulence occured once more. And with it, a groaning and creaking noise. She couldn’t help it, a small cry escaped her. She imagined the plane being torn apart by the rough turbulence, and she shook. She was going to be flying through the sky until she went “Splat”.

Tears started to fall, tracing trails down her face… rattling from the luggage… the creaking and groaning threatened to pull the plane apart, and even as that image came to mind, she knew she should buckle herself in again. It didn’t matter that it was logical, that she should do it, she couldn’t make her body obey, frozen in fear as she was. She should have taken a boat. A nice little cruise before she started her new life. It was too late to wish for that, and she let out a sob, no longer caring what others thought of her. Finally, unable to stand it, she shoved at the mouth breather, ”What are you, stupid? The plane is shaking and you’re asleep? So deaf from your own noisy breathing that you can’t hear that?” She managed to rise, her legs shaking, and gripping the seats in front of her, she made her way shakily to the isle.

As an explosion rocked the plane, she gripped the chairs either side of her, letting out an ear piercing scream that was drowned by the noise. In a split second, she was leaping back to the cover of the seats, as the luggage fell from its compartment, crashing to the ground. She dashed at her tears, as she sought to survive, despite knowing it was hopeless. She struggled once more to the isle, not sure what she was going to do, but knowing that she had to do something. Hadn’t there been something about life jackets, in the safety instructions? Where were they… ? She strained her memory, ignoring the screams around her.

Under the seat. She dove back to her seat, ignoring the mouth breather, and struggling, she grabbed her life jacket. Shrugging into it, she made sure it fit, but didn’t inflate it. Not sure what it would do, she nevertheless felt better for having it. As the plane was torn apart, she struggled a moment or two, but the force of the wind, and gravity had her falling ever as the plane hit the water. She let out a scream, as her wandering hands scrambled for a hold to latch herself onto, her nails ripping as she struggled.

As her feet hit the freezing cold water, she closed her eyes and stopped her struggling. As she fell into the water, she drew in a deep breath, before ducking her head under, and diving down. She kicked powerfully, seeking to clear the plane before she reached up, and inflated her life jacket. The buoyancy hit her and she was yanked up as the now inflate jacket sought the surface. As her head broke the surface, she let out her breath, shaking her head, and glancing about her. Had she survived? She couldn’t believe it. How had she survived? She looked around to see if anyone else had, but between the waves and the fires, the wreckage, she wasn’t sure what she was hearing.

Starting to swim, she hoped she was going in the right direction for land… or at least people. She swam around the wreckage, her breath coming in and out hard as she swam, the life jacket a bit of a hindrance but knowing that it was probably saving her life.

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Theodore was growing more frantic by the second, unable to find either Isaura or Emily. Had he..? He hadn’t kill her, when he pushed her into the water? As that thought sunk in, Theodore began to panic, thrashing in the water. He knew he couldn’t live with himself if he had… he knew that Isaura wouldn’t be able to live with that knowledge, not live with him. He’d lose everything, in the space of moments.

He didn’t think he could survive that. Didn’t think his body would be able to keep going. ”Emily!” he screamed, frantically swimming through the water, looking for his little sister, looking for Isaura- if he found one, he had to find the other. ”Emily, where are you! EMILY” Fear, panic and worry lent his voice strength, as he bellowed his sister's name out, again and again, throwing in Isuara’s name as well, needing to find both of them.

He could hear other survivors calling out, but he didn’t care about them, right now, he needed to find the only two people he had left in the world. He needed to know they were alright, with every fiber of his being. It wasn’t a question of want, it was a question of need. Where would either of them have fallen? Isaura could be further away than Emily… ”Isuara?”

He looked around, trying to use the fire from the wreckage to see if he could find either of them, squinting his eyes, as if that would make it easier to see, as if it would make him see further. Finally, he thought he saw someone, swimming towards them, by the flames… His heart leapt, was it Isaura? He started towards the figure, calling out ”Isaura, Isaura” Over and over again.

Her limbs were burning… with each and every stroke that she took through the water, she grew slower, her body growing heavier with the exhaustion that was slowly trying to overcome her. It was so cold… she could barely feel anymore where her skin ended, and the water began.

The flash of warmth coming from the flames as she grew close had her stopping dead within the water, her (now rather blue) lips parting slightly as she lifted her tired gaze to look around- there was fire everywhere… the debris, and fuel having leaked out from the sinking plane causing the fire to rage on even when it seemed impossible. Instinctively pushing herself away from the fire as the heat intensified, Isaura turned away, panic and fear filling her features as she looked out over the water around the crash; searching for any sign of the two people she loved most in the world, “..T-Theodore… Emily…”

Theodore had lost sight of the figure for a moment, falling under the water once more, appearing in a few seconds, scanning the water once more, searching, his heart in his throat, beating hard, making him feel sick to the stomach, and then he saw them again. Theodore tried to make his body go faster, tried to push himself further, needing to know it was her.

If he could find Isaura, they could find Emily together.

As he drew nearer to the figure, Theodore still couldn’t make out who it was, blinded by the flames, and he crashed into them. It became immediately clear to Theodore that it was not Isaura, and he muttered something close to ”Not it… Sorry…” before he continued to swim, as if nothing was amiss. He hurriedly searched the water again, fear once more rising in him- had he ever known anything other than fear? It seemed like it had been going on forever.

Suddenly his gaze was drawn to another figure, very close to the flames, and his motions became almost frantic, before he began to swim smoothly again, his own aches, pains and freezing body forgotten as he closed the distance. His heart leaped as he drew closer and closer, soon hearing her calling out.

”Isaura!” With a few strokes, he was near enough that he could reach out, and touch her.

At the sound of her name being called out, Isaura turned, her eyes opening just that little bit wider as she caught sight of a figure hurrying to get to where she was treading in the freezing water, “..T-Theo…”

Relief washed over her, and within moments she had reached out towards him, her arm shakily wrapping around the back of his neck as she worked to pulled herself closer, holding herself weakly against his body- he was here… he was alive. That was all she could ever ask for. Her breath shallow, she shut her eyes tightly, her lower lip quivering with the chill as she dropped her head, not caring about the water splashing up into her face as she took the time to just revel in the fact that he was okay, “..I-... I was so scared…”

Theodore pulled Isaura into his arms, treading water, a little harder now, but nothing would make him let go of Isaura, not at that moment as he hugged her to him. It took a moment for him to find the will to speak, his voice soft and relieved when he did, ”I was… god, it was frightening… “ He didn’t seem capable of making a full sentence, instead he shifted, making sure she wasn’t sinking into the water.

Fear was still heavy in his heart, no matter the relief he felt at finding Isaura, it wasn’t enough. He clutched her tighter to him, not wanting to utter the words that he had to. ”I haven’t found Emily yet… “ his words were almost a whisper, feeling like he had failed them both. ”I… I told her to get to the surface, but I can’t find her”

Fear clenched at her heart once more. He-... He hadn’t found her yet… he hadn’t managed to find Emily yet. Attempting to pull herself closer against him, though unsure whether or not she had managed to achieve it or not, Isaura shook her head gently from side to side, her voice soft… shaky as she spoke, “..we’ll find her… I-I know we will…”

Theodore closed his eyes, unsure if he could believe that they would, still terrified that he had sent Emily to her death. “I can’t lose her, too” He said softly, opening his eyes again, clutching Isaura tightly, not wanting to let her go, but knowing that he had to, if they were to find Emily. While the ocean was big, the plane falling should have been contained over a manageable area… but Emily was a child… if it was hard for them, then… He let out a slow breath.

“We were close to the water when she went in” He said, looking away from Isaura, to search for the no doubt sinking cabin they had been in.

She closed her eyes, her breath coming slowly… strained as she continued to stay close to him, Isaura listened, her body shaking lightly against his as she lifted her head, her eyes eventually opening so that she could follow his line of sight, her gaze sliding over the waters in an attempt to see if she could find the young girl, “..we’ll find her, Theo… I promise… we’ll find her…”

Theodore brought his gaze back to Isaura, knowing that they all needed to get to land soon, and although he wanted to get Isaura to safety, he knew she wouldn’t go until they had found Emily. ”We will” He echoed, looking back over the water, his heart heavy. He could see that Isaura was tiring, and probably couldn't continue for long, if at all. He wasn’t going to let her swim, if she couldn’t, and he held her for a moment or two longer, as he tried to figure out what to do.

When he’d been learning to swim, and when he’d help Emily learn to swim, they’d learned several different ways of helping if someone couldn’t swim. There were a few ways, but Theodore chose one of the easier ones to do, that wouldn't involve diving under the water, which he never really felt like doing, ever again. He faced Isausa, saying ”I’m going to do a carry, okay?” he gently guided her hands to his shoulders, making sure that she kept her arms extended, before he gently lifted her, kicking hard, until her legs were around his waist, letting her lean on him.

”Heads up breaststroke” he muttered to himself, making sure that Isaura was secure. ”Are you okay?”

“..c-cold…” Her voice shaking lightly as though to reflect her answer, Isaura closed her eyes, her blue tinged lips parting ever so slightly from one another as she let her head come to a rest over his back, her body shivering consistently as they swam through the waters together, “..I-...I can’t f-feel my legs…”

Theodore knew that that was bad, and for a moment, he wished there were two of him, so he could get Isaura to safety, and find Emliy. “It’s the water” He said softly, knowing that wasn’t much help. Feeling useless, he started to swim, looking for any sign of Emily, not knowing how much longer he himself could go on. Periodically he began to call out his sister’s name, desperately hoping to hear her calling back.

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Stuck in the water, Lavena treaded water as she pondered what to do. She was sure she could hear voices, and knew she should try finding the people they belonged to, maybe even the old guy that had tried to save her… had he gotten out? Feeling somewhat guilty despite the fact that she couldn’t have fought gravity. Blinking water out of her eyes, even though it was a futile gesture, and glanced about her. Her case, heavy in her right hand, seemed to weigh her down. She couldn’t bring herself to let it go however and instead brought it close to her chest, part of her hoping that it would give her extra warmth. She knew she should get moving, that the longer she stayed stationary, the colder she got. For now, her body ached, the pains from the tumble and fall into the water making themselves know. She knew that that was a good thing, that it was when her body went numb that she was in trouble.Which didn’t stop the fact that she was shivering as her body sought to generate warmth.

She wanted nothing more than to be out of the water and to never see it again. The only bright thing about being in the water was that it wasn’t a small space. Although she was still going to only have showers from then on. And never go swimming again. And she was going to get a dishwasher. No water immersion for her ever again. She paused in her motion a moment, before she realised that her thoughts were wandering. Had she hit her head? Or was it an effect of the water?

”I have to get out of here.” she said to herself, as if that would reaffirm the idea in her mind. She began to swim, her case dragging her down slightly. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to let it go. It was her life’s work. She couldn’t just get rid of it… As she recognised the hopelessness of that thought, she stopped swimming, looking down at the case as she held it against her chest. She had her blueprints, her notes. She could make it again. She just had to survive. Surely her potential employers would understand any delay… She clutched the case tighty, before she swallowed and gathered up her courage.

One by one her fingers let the handle go, tears stinging her eyes as she did so. When the case slid from her, sinking towards the bottom of the ocean, she bowed her head, and closed her eyes tightly and tried not to cry. Would she lose everything here, including her life? She swallowed painfully around the emotional lump in her throat, and began to swim again. There was no turning back, she’d let the case go. She just had to live now. That was all. As if that wasn’t an impossibility right then. She had no idea which way would lead her to land… So she decided to follow the wreckage. Surely if there was land nearby, the waves would lead her to land.

Was that yelling? Was someone shouting? It sounded nearby, but she recognised that sound traveled over water, and she really had no idea where it was coming from. She could very well be imagining it too… She debated a moment as she swam whether or not it was worth the energy to call out, or if she should save her strength. She’d have to stop, or risk inhaling water… She decided to keep swimming. That’s all she had to do. Just keep swimming. Even as she continued to swim, her body was slowly becoming numb, her toes, fingers, nose and the tips of her ears aching painfully before even that faded away to numbness. As is slowly began to spread, Lavena knew that she only had a short amount of time. Her fingers still parted the water, but she could no longer feel the passing of it. It was a rather frightening feeling, as if her fingers weren’t there. Was this what a paraplegic felt? Had she somehow damaged her spine when she fell? Was she even now sinking to the bottom of the ocean, drowning, and this was some sort of dream?

She inhaled air painfully into her lungs, shaking her head. Her thoughts were wandering again. Recognising the danger int hat, Lavena muttered to herself ”Just keep swimming. That’s all you can do. Just keep swimming.” Was there something there? Was it a mirage, or was it truly a lighthouse? Spurred on, Lavena swam towards it. If it was a mirage, well, she would die. If it was land, then she’d survive.

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Jordan could hear someone yelling. Calling out the same names over and over again. Isuara and Emily. The grief and fear in that voice was enough to make her own heart break. Alone, she didn’t have anyone to worry about, but this person had two people. Part of her was jealous at that, even as she recognised the person’s grief. How many lives would be lost, how many families torn apart? Tearing her mind away from those depressing thoughts, she continued to swim, shoving her way through luggage that was just beginning to sink, and bits of plane. As her hand hit something soft, cold and squishy, Jordan flinched back.

She was sure it was a body as she stopped swimming, swallowing back her fear. She doggie paddled closer, intending to get a look and maybe find some ID, so that the poor sole could be identified as dead, so they’re family wouldn’t have to wonder. It was a child’s body, her eyes closed, hair floating out around her, arms floating, hitting luggage around her, water washing over the young girls chest. The child couldn’t be more than five, and Jordan sighed. As she was reaching to at least move the girl to something she could float on, so her body wouldn’t be dragged under, she saw that the girls chest was moving, just slightly.

As the girl made a small noise, whether one of pain or just of fear, Jordan looked up. The girls eyes were open slightly. Jordan’s heart leapt, and she gathered the child to her, ”Its going to be okay, little one. I want you to hold onto this luggage, okay? Just for a minute. I’ll get the life jacket on you, okay sweetie?” She said, helping the little girl to fasten herself to the luggage, before she with some difficulty shrugged off the life jacket and got it on the little girl, struggling to buckle it but eventually she had it on the girl. With the girl no longer at risk of sinking and drowning, Jordan held onto her hand, giving it a squeeze. Now, even if the girl passed out, she’d be able to keep her afloat. As someone once more yelled out for Emily, she glanced to the kid.

The kid had to belong to someone, didn’t they? Was this man calling out for her? ”If she’s a kid, I have her. FInd land, we can meet up there.” She called back, holding the girl to her for a moment as she contemplated which way to go. Her eyes scanned the area around them, seeking any sign of land. A dark, tall blob against the sky seemed promising, and as her eyes adjusted against the glowing fires from the wreckage, she saw that it was a lighthouse. She filled air into her lungs and let it out in a shout to all those around her, if there were survivors, then she’d let them know where to go. ”Swim to the lighthouse! Swim to land!”

She got herself sorted with the kid, making sure she could swim with her, and keep the girl afloat. She settled herself into an awkward swim, feeling her body growing colder. She didn’t want to stop and think what the child must be feeling. She was so small… She needed to get this girl out of the water, even with the added warmth the jacket was bound to give her, the girl had had a good soaking. She needed to get her out of the water, before she succumbed to the cold temperatures.

How long would that be, for a child? Hesitating a moment, she shook her head, before starting to swim again, using her legs and feet more than her arms now. ”Its going to be okay, child.” she’d say every so often as she sought land. The lighthouse seemed to be both drawing closure, and staying far away. She wondered if it was her own mind playing tricks on her, but there wasn’t much that she could do if that was true.

She drew in air in a rhythmic motion, concentrating on that as she swam. She checked on the girl every so often, making sure she was still breathing. ”Nearly there… Just hold on, okay? I’ll get you to land… “ She trailed off, her body aching from the cold. And she was tired. So very tired. Without the life jacket, it seemed every harder to swim, to stay afloat. And her arms ached from dragging the child with her. She paused, and pushed the girl in front of her. She began to swim once more, using the child as a kind of kick board, pushing her instead of pulling.

”Not much further… “ She had to believe that, or she wouldn’t be able to go on.

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Cyrus watched helplessly as the girl slipped from his grasp. Really? Had his palm been sweaty? Or did she simply lack the willpower to live? Or maybe she simply let go, choosing death over facing him after she planted her face in his lap by a welcome accident. The bottom line was that he got down on the floor of the plane in his three-piece suit for nothing. And now it was probably ruined.

Pushing himself up against the force of the plane going down, Cyrus opened up the window shade to see if he couldn't look outside. Blackness. The only thing visible from the flashing lights on the wing of the plane. His eyes glanced towards the emergency exit door he had sat next to... if he could just get it open.

Throwing his weight around, Cyrus eventually made it over. The million stickers on the door with instructions was easy enough to understand, and with quite a bit of strain in his shoulders, eventually popped the door open. The force of gravity, however, ripped the door from it's hinges and flipped away from the plane to land god knew where. Cyrus held onto the back seat of the chair, eyes looking out at the black void beside him.

And then he heard it. Above all of the screaming, creaking and groaning and wind... Cyrus heard water. Wreckage from the plane had reached the Earth before the plane had, and if he could hear it, Cyrus knew that he had only seconds before the plane would make impact.

Well... it was better to jump now and hope for the best rather than fight the pressure of a sinking plane once it hit.

Knuckles white, Cyrus hesitated. This could very well be it - his last hurrah. He said a quick prayer, and then forced hold on the seat to go lax, allowing the outside air to suck him away from the plane.

He was stationary for a moment, simply floating. He couldn't make heads or tails of where he was in relation to the plane, let alone if he was right-side up or not. His body curled reflexively, arms wrapping around himself and simply waited. One way or another, this would be over soon.

Suddenly, the wind got knocked out of him. He couldn't breathe. And when he gasped for breath, water filled his lungs. He coughed, his body trying to get rid of the salt water but it just left his throat and chest stinging. His eyes shut tightly, his hands reaching up to grab at his throat as if that would help the pain. He was going to drown, no doubt about it. It was over. He had failed...

His head hit the surface and Cyrus was greeted with the idea of life. Choking and sputtering, his legs kicked furiously to keep his bobbing head afloat. He was alive.

"I've done it!" he screamed out, his throat tearing from the onslaught of ocean water still remaining inside. His arms flapped around, legs still kicking as his eyes opened. All around him was absolute carnage. A wooden briefcase floated across the water's surface and bumped him on the shoulder. Throwing his arms around it, Cyrus used the now somewhat submerged, mock-flotation device to give his body a rest.

And that was when the cold kicked in.

A shiver rolled down his spine as a chill reached all the way to his bones. He hunched his back, trying to preserve warmth though from where he wasn't entirely sure. No doubt about it now, his suit was completely ruined.

"H-Help!" Cyrus called out, though only half-heartedly. He didn't want to embarrass himself too much, and he wasn't even really sure what he was asking help for. All he knew was that he desperately desired warmth, a long cotton robe, and a tumbler of whiskey. "P-please! I- I gotta get out!"

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Theodore didn’t know what options they had left. The response he’d gotten did nothing to assure him that it was Emily, but… if he stayed in the water much longer, Isuara was going to be seriously compromised, more so then she already was. He didn’t, right then, care for himself. He just had to have hope that it was Emily, because he couldn’t choose between saving Isuara, or saving Emily. Feeling like he was ripping his heart from his chest, Theodore looked about, for any sign of land, looking to Isuara to make sure she was still awake ”Isuara” he said softly, wishing things were different, wishing that they'd gotten on any other flight, wishing he could just make sure that they, that Emily and Isuara, were safe.

Looking about them once more, he was sure he saw something... A building? Or was that just his imagination, him hoping that it was land, like a mirage? Did he want to risk Isuara’s life, on that? What choice did he have? There wasn’t exactly many options, but he really only had one shot, he didn’t think that he could go much further. If it was just his imagination… he’d effectively kill them both.

Even the thought of being responsible for Isuara’s death chilled him to his very core, and he tried not to think that he may already be responsible for Emily's death. ”Do you see that building, too?” he asked Isuara, wanting confirmation before he wasted energy trying to swim there.

Opening her eyes, Isaura tilted her head lightly to the side, lifting it only slightly so that she was able to look in the direction that they seemed to be headed. Building..? What would a building be doing in the middle of the Atlantic ocean..?

“..b-building..?”

Her body shaking constantly due to the freezing temperatures of the water reaching into her core, she squinted her eyes, her now blue lips parting ever so slightly as she continued to gaze in the direction he seemed to be focused on, a large dark mass emerging through the smoke catching her eyes causing to try and tighten her arms around him further than they already were, “..y-yeah… I-... I think I d-do…”

Taking that as confirmation, even though it was strange to think of a random building. There wasn’t anything else to indicate land, but what choice did they have? “Alright then. We’ll head there” he said, taking a breath and beginning to swim, it was perhaps the hardest thing he’d had to do, push his battered, tired body through the freezing cold water. Stopping or faltering was not an option, and he continued to swim towards the building, ”Just stay awake, okay Isuara? That’s all you have to do”

He tried to judge how far the tower was, but it seemed like an impossible task. ”Nearly there” he said, not knowing if that was true at all, but wanting to keep her awake.

Stay awake… yeah… yeah, she could do that… she could-...

Her eyes drooping slightly, Isaura once more let her head come to a rest over his back, a soft mumble of understanding falling from between her lips as she felt herself slipping into the sleep both of them knew she needed to stay out of. The situation was bad enough as it was; if she went to sleep now-... well, there was that possibility that she wasn’t going to be waking up anytime soon…

Theodore looked to Isuara, wanting to make sure she was okay, seeing that she was falling asleep, and not knowing what to do. He slowed, as he tried to think of something to do., before making sure she was close against him, as he tried to think of ways of getting her warm, if only somewhat. Just until they got out the water.

He stopped, treading water a moment, trying to figure out a way of getting her out of the water, at least better than what she was. ”I’m going to try and get you out the water a bit’ he said, hoping the sound of his voice would give her something to focus on, bring her back from the edge of sleep. He tried to figure out how he could get her on his back, ’Do you think you can get on my back?” he asked softly, hugging her close.

His voice… it sounded so close. She had to focus; she had to-... she had to open her eyes, if even a little bit. Her head turning slightly, she forced her eyes to open just that little bit more than they already were, her tired gaze resting upon the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with… no matter how short a time that might be.

“..I-I’m so c-cold…”

”I know, Izzy, I know. That’s why I want you to get on my back, okay? Get you outta the water a bit” he said, ”Please, I don’t want to lose you, Izzy. You’ll be out of the water more on my back” he said, trying to keep his own fear from his voice, giving her a quick soft kiss, wishing that it was more, but knowing that was possible, right then. ”Then it’s not far… “

“..I-I’ll try…” Forcing herself to move, she shakily brought her hands back to press weakly into his shoulders, doing what she could to move herself further up his back.

Theodore did what he could to help get her on his back, and once she was settled again, he started to swim once more, wondering if he had actually made any progress to getting to the building, he couldn’t quite remember how far they had been. Which he recognized as a dangerous sign. He grimaced, continuing to swim. They had to make it. They’d find Emily, and survive.

He continued his diligent, if dead-tired swim, his entire mind focused on that task, on the task of getting to land, and finding Emily. Nothing else seemed to matter, right then. ”Is it better, Izzy?”

“..a-a little b-bit…”

Her body still shaking against his, she shook her head lightly from side to side, doing her best to shake the fatigue from her body as she turned her attention up to the large towering structure of the lighthouse drawing closer with each moment that passed them both by.

A bit was good. A bit could mean the difference between life, and death in these waters. He tried not to think how Emily was faring, She was so small… looking ahead as the lighthouse drew closer and closer, but still seemed so far away. He blinked, reaching up to brush water out his eyes, frowning when he realized that there was something just ahead of them. Someone else swimming? But it seemed more than that… Where they trying to tow more than just themselves? The silhouette was rather strange…. But he supposed his was too, with Isuara on his back.

Whatever they were doing, it seemed they were struggling, and Theodore found himself making his way towards them- they were along the way, closer to the lighthouse than Isuara and himself. As he drew closer, he saw that the woman- for it was a woman- was struggling with a dog, and a man. How did she get the dog out? For surely the dog had been secured? Shaking his head as his thoughts went off on tangents, Theodore found himself calling out ”You need a hand?’ He knew he should think about Isuara, getting her out of the water, of getting himself out the water.

But the woman was trying to save a damn dog, what was he meant to do? Try to save the damn dog as well.

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Was she still swimming? She didn’t know. She could very well just be floating… but she could swear that she was moving her arms and legs. Was that just a dream? Was this? Would she wake on the plane, in a few hours time to it landing? She sighed softly, her body cold… heavy… she felt like if she stopped moving, she’d sink… But… Was she moving… ? Lavena had no idea anymore, and she reached up to brush some of her red locks out of her eyes, tucking the wet hair behind an ear. She brushed water away from her eyes, sighing heavily.

She was moving… but she had been stationary entirely too long, the motion of the ocean simply pushing her forward… had she been turned around? What had she been swimming too? As she lowered her hand away, it came slick with watery blood, and she blinked. She’d cut herself… that was right. She’d crashed into something sharp, hadn’t she? She shook her head, and started to move again. Was that a voice, someone screaming?

"I've done it!"

Done what? She pondered that a few seconds, treading water where she was. She blinked after a few moments, and shook her head once more. What had she been thinking about? Oh. Right. Someone had been screaming. Well, there was a lot of someone’s screaming. Something about the lighthouse… THAT’S where she’d been going. Turning her thoughts to the lighthouse, she suddenly cursed. She couldn’t leave someone screaming for help. As she swam towards the noise, she concentrated on focusing. She had to get out, and this delay was just annoying, but she couldn’t do it. She’d already lost her prototype, she couldn’t lose her soul too.

”I’m coming damn it! Don’t get your knickers in a twist!” She shouted back, ”Just freezing my ass off.” she was a tiny little woman, why was she doing this? She was probably frozen solid already. Soon coming across the older man whose lap she had fallen into, the guy who had tried to save her. She blinked, reaching up to rub at her eyes again. Was she seeing things? What was the chances she’d run into him again in the water?

”Oh. Hi. You know, thanks for trying to save me and all… my hands were sweaty… “ She trailed off lamely, swallowing painfully around her sore throat. She tilted her head, The man was using some sort of flotation, from overthrown luggage. While it was smart... she didn't think he could move too well like that. ”I ain’t gonna push ya, you’ll have to swim. You can swim right?” She asked, wondering if he’d except help from from her- she was younger then him and a girl. He seemed the type to be a little sexist. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions… She shook her head, trying to focus once more.

”Look, I’m freezing, I’m not entirely sure anything is real, but there’s a lighthouse, we might as well swim towards it.” She said wearily, treading water where she was and waiting for him to answer. If he didn’t, she was just going to swim off to the lighthouse and get out of this goddamn water.