Chapter Text
The vicar is very drunk- you can smell the alcohol even from your place beside Kylar. Kylar himself doesn’t seem to care, as long as you're beside him with his arm slung around your shoulders; the edge of the hatchet's blade teases your spinal column, and it takes everything you have not to shudder in place, lest he get the wrong idea.
As it is, you consider it fortunate that he hasn't taped your mouth shut or something; but the roll of duct tape sitting innocently beside the wedding cake is enough for you to know that could change any minute.
The vicar hiccups. "Hic- we are ga-hic- gathered here today to-"
Quick, thundering footsteps from outside put a halt to the farcical wedding.
The vicar glances towards the door.
Kylar pulls you closer, wrapping his other arm around you as if to shield you.
How ironic, you think with a grimace. And for that matter, if this were an authentic wedding, dad would be here to give me away. What in the world is Kylar hoping to achieve?
Actually, that's kind of a dumb question- you know what he wants to do, but you also know he's smarter than... this. Smart enough to know this act wouldn’t make anything official between them, and smart enough to know Bailey would never allow it.
Speaking of...
The door falls off its hinges with a loud bang, and you flinch in spite of yourself as Kylar tightens his hold on you, the flat of the hatchet angled against your ribcage.
Bailey is there- just him- and he looks absolutely murderous in a way you don't think you've ever seen before, even when Avery was involved.
His shoulders heave with each intake of breath, and his hand is steady around the gun in the holster on his hip.
His fingers uncurl around it, and you can almost feel his relief.
Kylar is tense around you, like a startled rabbit, and you can't really see what his face looks like right now.
"You," dad starts, and his voice is venomous. "Get the fuck away from my kid. Now. Before I castrate you. With a bullet."
Kylar wasn't scared of your dad at first, but right now, you feel him trembling.
"N-no..! I won't! I won't let anyone come between us!"
The hatchet presses further against you, the sharp edge just barely nicking your ribs. You wince.
Dad notices, of course, and his gaze goes from furiously burning to vengefully cold.
"Death is too good for a sick fucking bastard like you." He says, his hand tightening around the grip of his gun.
He never has the safety on, and you used to criticize him for it. But now, a tiny, vengeful part of you is thankful.
Faster than Kylar can move, faster than he could say "I love you", your dad pulls his gun out and shoots.
The bullet flies and hits Kylar's side- not anywhere lethal, you think, and not anywhere it could pass through him and into you. Never let it be said Bailey isn't a good marksman.
Kylar lets out a scream not unlike the one he'd let out in English class- just before he'd tried stabbing the poor sod who dared to sit next to you- and his arms go slack.
The hatchet falls to the floor with a clang, and Kylar with it. You're not in a position enabling him to pull you down with him, so he curls up in a fetal position and clutches his side.
Pained, heaving breaths escape him, and Bailey kicks him onto his back as he strides toward you.
Your dad is quick to bend down and use his pocket knife to sever your bindings. Once free, you can't help but lunge into him and cling to him like a leech. He seems perfectly content to allow this.
"C'mon. We're going home," he murmurs as he hooks his arms behind your legs. "And I'll deal with that thing later. Don't worry- I won't kill it," he assures you- you know he doesn’t want you to see him as a murderer, as he knows you hate killing.
He walks out the doorway and up the stairs, into the familiar hallway of your school. It's too late for any students to be around, but the lights are still on, so the janitor is probably around somewhere. Probably.
You close your eyes as the a/c wafts cool air around you and you begin counting Bailey's footsteps; 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8.
He carries you out and settles you in the back seat of his car. Your limbs feel heavy, like lead, and you can’t seem to move them yourself.
Maybe it's because your body knows it's safe now. Maybe it's a delayed shock.
In any case, Bailey doesn't seem to mind that either, adjusting your arms as needed to buckle you into place. With your eyes still closed, you hear him slam the door shut.
It feels like only a moment between then and when you open your eyes to your familiar bedroom ceiling. But it must've been longer, because you could swear your dad was with you, and he's not now.
You hear a soft knock at your door.
"Hey," the door cracks open. "It's Robin."
You try to sit up, and your body has that kinda painful pins-and-needles feeling as you move.
You flop back down onto your pillow with a groan.
Robin peeks her head in.
"Are you okay?" She asks. "I saw you pass out, and I- I thought Kylar was carrying you to the infirmary, but when I went to check on you, you weren’t there." She steps inside and shuts the door behind her. "I just got back from work, actually. So I guess Bailey picked you up?"
It's true enough- Kylar was with you (and he has enough scientific knowledge he could probably act as a doctor in a pinch) and your dad did find you and bring you home, ultimately.
"Yeeessssss..." you slur, and well, at least you can talk now.
Robin's shoulders sag.
"Thank goodness- I was worried Kylar might've kidnapped you or something- he never showed up to class after helping you."
Oh, if she only knew.
You... decide not to tell her. She might beat herself up about it if you do.
"So, are you okay now?" She asks, then backpedals, "I mean, will you be okay?"
"Yeah..." you let your voice trail off.
"I'm glad," she says with a smile. "If you ever need me to bring you anything- homework or notes or food or, whatever, just say so, alright?"
"Mm...thaaaanksss..."
"Now, I'll let you go back to sleep."
She turns around and leaves.
It hits you then, at that particular moment, that Robin is a Good Person. You always knew that, of course, but still. She's a Good Person. And Bailey's actually a pretty okay dad.
Between those two alone, never mind Sydney and Doren, you think you'll be right as rain in no time.