The Fires of Summer (first draft)

Haley struggles to properly dock the ship all by himself. He has to be quick about everything, but the ship still knocks into the wood of the dock, and he gets some funny looks from everyone nearby. He eventually manages to tie down the ship, deciding his efforts are good enough, and he checks on Axel before he goes into the town.

Seeing the town again is strange. So much has happened since the beginning of his journey, and his life has been turned upside down. As he walks through the bustling center of the place he feels a little bit of life flow back into him. It's hard not to feel rejuvenated with the high energy, and for just a moment Haley feels like nothing has really gone wrong. For a moment he can't help but hope that this is all just one crazy dream, and that he's going to wake up and Bo and Garrett's house to a bunch of ravens. But he never seems to wake up - it never seems to be over.

He circles back through town and follows the path to Bo and Garrett's. Along the way he watches the orcas swim behind the dock, their tall black fins poking out of the water. He wonders what it's like to be one of them, torturing smaller animals for fun and terrorising the local elk population. It'd be much nicer than whatever Haley's going through.

The path to Bo and Garrett's is quiet the rest of the way. As he approaches the house he feels a sense of familiarity wash over him, something so comfortable that he never wants to leave. He knocks on the door and there's noise from inside, a girl shouting 'I'll get it!' and then footsteps running up to it. The door unlocks and there stands Dawn. She's dressed in a pretty red summer shirt and shorts, and when she sees Haley her eyes light up, and then they well up with tears. She wraps her arms around his waist and he holds her too, very tight.

Bo and Garrett soon enough come to see what's going on, and they too can't resist joining in on the hug. The squeeze of their arms is so comforting.

"Why are you crying?" Dawn asks when they all part.

"I'm crying?" Haley chuckles, lifting his hands up to rub his eyes. Sure enough they're wet. He doesn't fight back the tears when he realises they're there, letting everything spill out. He's pulled into another hug and he cries into Garrett's chest. "I missed you all so much."

"Let's get you inside," Bo says, patting his back with a big hand.

Haley is welcomed in. He sits at his usual spot in the living room and the others settle around him.

"We thought you were..." Garrett trails off, looking at him with eyes full of relief.

Haley takes a deep breath. He recounts his story from the last time they've seen each other, sharing every twist and turn, even his secret about the child. By the end they don't look happy.

"Haley, if you need a place to stay, we're here," Bo says, his voice heavy.

"I know," he replies. In all honesty, he's very tempted. A part of him wants nothing more than to just leave Axel in the ship and come live with Bo and Garrett again. Helping around on the farm is such a small price to pay for it all, and he'd have Dawn again. He'd be able to raise his child with people he knows he can trust. But he can't. "I have to get Axel home safe, and I need to see his doctor."

"If you're sure, Haley," Garrett frowns. "Will you be safe with him?"

"Don't worry," he says. "I promise I'll come to visit you again soon."

"You don't have to go yet, right?" Dawn asks hopefully.

Haley smiles. With Axel asleep, he's in no rush. "I can stay for a little while."

"I'll make some sandwiches. Is chicken alright?" Bo offers. Everyone nods. Him and Garrett head off to the kitchen to prepare the food.

Dawn looks at Haley. "What are you going to call the baby?"

Haley smiles. He hums thoughtfully, thinking back to all of the names he'd been considering before. "I don't know, to be honest. I'm not very good at naming things."

"Whatever you pick you better tell me!" she grins. "I bet they're gonna be super cute."

"Yeah," Haley agrees with a laugh. "You're gonna be a big sister, Dawn. You won't be an only child anymore."

"Oh yeah! I'm gonna be a big sister!" she shakes her hands in excitement, unable to contain herself. Haley feels a spark of joy in his chest to see her so happy. "Promise you'll come here with them?"

"I promise. I'll let you see them lots and Bo and Garrett can babysit one of the days," Haley assures her. He can imagine coming here a years from now with his child, Dawn being a big sister to them and taking care of them, Bo and Garrett insisting they can both stay the night so they can dote on them. The thought alone makes him smile.

When Bo and Garrett come back they bring big sandwiches cut into the shapes of dragons. Haley digs in. He remembers the meals he'd eaten with Corvus, clearly made by the best chefs in Aldelis, but somehow the chicken sandwiches taste much better. It's almost as if he can feel that they've been made with love and care, and he prefers that over skill by far. With a deep sadness he feels himself craving Axel's food again. He wants to stand with him and help him cook, and sit down at his table to eat. But he won't, not after what Axel's done to him.

"What are you going to do when you get back?" Bo asks him as they eat, concern in his voice.

"I don't know, to be honest," he shrugs. He'd imagined a life with Axel, but now that doesn't seem very likely. "I'll probably spend some time with Axel's friends. They're a really nice bunch."

"Are you sure you can trust them?" Garrett frowns.

Haley recalls Ophelia's betrayal. Nobody had been expecting something like that from her, but he still feels hurt by it all. She'd given away such important information and it'd led to his dads getting captured, but he can't entirely blame her. Nobody would want to be charged with high treason, especially not for working with someone they barely know yet. "I'm sure I can trust the others, yeah."

"Well then I trust you're making the right decision," Garrett says warmly.

Once Haley finishes his sandwich, he takes a deep breath. "Well, I'd better be off then. I need to make sure Axel doesn't die or anything."

"Please be safe," Dawn says, coming to give him another hug.

He happily takes it, squeezing her tight. "I will, I promise."

Bo and Garrett take him to the door to see him off, where they too give him a hug before he goes. Leaving is one of the hardest things he's done in a while. He doesn't want to leave behind the three of them again, to go back to this life full of chaos and uncertainty, but he can't leave Axel injured in Moosewater.

He trudges his way back to the ship. When he goes in to check on Axel, he's worried to see him still unmoving, but when he gets close he sees the slow rise and fall of the man's chest, putting him at ease. He curses Axel for making him so damn worried. He hates the man's guts right now, but he doesn't have it in him to just watch him die.

Why can't I be more like the Archangel of death everyone wants, he thinks glumly. Then he would gladly send Axel off into the underworld and not have to worry about him again. Maybe if he was more like that then he'd be what everyone wants him to be. Nobody would take advantage of him ever again, not even Michael, and he would simply go and do as he pleases. He could even go back to being a pirate and raise his child on Pirate Island, leaving them with the Pirate Lords whenever he needed or wanted to go out.

All fantasies, Haley frowns. He figures he should wait a little while before he heads to Wolf's Rest. When he gets there he needs Axel awake so they can get off the ship and back to the cabin, and he knows it won't be an easy journey with Axel so injured. He just hopes Keaberos and the others are back safe so he'll have someone to hand Axel off to when they get there.

Haley once again finds himself beside Axel. He watches him rest. The peaceful expression on his face is so different to the one he'd had when he killed Corvus. Now he seems so tranquil, like he would be dying satisfied if he did so.

I guess that's all he really wanted, Haley thinks bitterly, to kill Corvus.

Yet for all his bitterness he can't seem to pry himself from Axel's bedside. He watches and oh-so-patiently he waits, all for him.