Moonlight Nocturne

"It's okay! I'm fine!" She winces, looking down. "... are you disappointed in me?"

 

" nah, I got in worse fights when I was a kid. only concern is the knife, that's going to stick no matter what I say." He makes a dismissive motion with his hands " but, what can you do?"

 

"... I need the knife. Last time I was at school I didn't have it and I... I almost died." She starts crying.

 

"Shush, shush, calm down sweetheart, calm down" Gabriel encircles her in a hug. " it's alright, it's no big deal, I ain't gonna take it from you."

 

She hugs him back, a little gingerly, her good hand clamped tight on his shoulder. "... really? It's okay?"

 

"Yeah it's fine, I ain't gonna fault you for it. Like I said, what's done is done, can't change it. An!"he raises his voice to make a point "I ain't gonna be tyrannical about the future."

 

She hides her face in his chest, starting to sob.

 

He hugs her close and hold her.

 

"Can we go home now?" she manages, after a while.

 

Gabe sighs "You need to go to a doctor sweetie, I ain't gonna feel safe if you don't."

 

"... why not?" she asks. "... I'll be okay. I've gotten in lots of fights before."

 

"Yes, and I bet your mother could never quite afford to get you checked after each one, but we can and those injuries look bad. Plus" He smiles at her "If we got a doctors note explaining how banged up you were, those boys gonna have a lot of egg on their face convincing other people they never touched you."

 

"... I didn't tell her, mostly?" she offers, looking away. "Doctors are expensive. And she'd be mad."

She swallows, nodding tentatively. "... okay."

 

"Yeah. I'm not surprised" Gabriel grumbles.

 

"... can we get Nick now?"

 

"Yeah. Just... just don't say anything about the fight okay? It upsets him."

 

"... oh. Okay." She looks down. "... Is he going to go all... huge and furry?"

 

"Not if I can help it."

 

"Because he'd try to eat me? And you?"

 

"And possibly anyone else who got too close. Mostly thought I just don't want to fill out more 'bear attack' paperwork."