Cover Ups
Dawn hummed softly as she preened Julian’s wings while keeping an eye on Leo as he played with Nyx. It was honestly really adorable watching the slime hybrid roll around on the grass with the panther.
She turned towards the gate when she heard it open and grinned when she noticed Callum walk into the backyard only to freeze in shock when she saw the girl that trailed in after him.
“Dawn? You good? You look like you just saw a ghost?” Julian questioned as he waved his hand in front of Dawn’s face but all she could do was stare in shock at Serena who smiled brightly and rushed forward to pull her into a hug.
“I finally found you” She said in relief as she glanced up at Dawn before frowning softly as she reached up to place a hand close to her scar.
“Wh- ho- yo- how are you alive?!” She questioned stunned and Serena gave her a sad little smile as she pulled away.
“It’s a long story” She admitted and Dawn’s eyes begged for answers only to glance away when she felt Julian place his hand on her shoulder.
“We’ll give you some privacy” He said softly before ushering Leo and Callum, who looked very concerned, into the house. Once they were gone Dawn patted the bench for Serena to sit.
“Explain” She practically begged and Serena nodded as she sat down next to her.
“The story that you were told of the accident was largely exaggerated and mostly just a cover-up story” She admitted and Dawn furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before gesturing for her to continue.
“To start things off I didn’t actually jump off of a building, I had chickened out but one of my so-called “friends” pushed me. The building also wasn’t that tall as you can obviously tell I survived but I was extremely injured from it” She explained and Dawn hummed in understanding.
“Then why did everyone tell me you died?’ She asked softly and Serena let out a tired little sigh.
“My mom worked at the hospital and only ever saw me on the weekends cause her job demanded a lot of her attention but when I was brought into the hospital she decided that my dad was not fit to raise me. She demanded full custody and won without much difficulty. Dad took it really poorly so instead of admitting that he lost he made up this story of how I died to explain why I wasn’t around anymore” She explained and Dawn’s eyes widened, that was why Rodrick had become a drunk? Not because his daughter had died but because he lost custody? The tiny grain of sympathy she had had for the man withered away in an instant.
“My mom passed away recently and with dad being in prison I was put into the foster system, my caseworker is really nice and he helped me find you. You were my big sister and being separated from you was something I had always resented my mom for and if you're okay with it I’d like to still be a part of your life” She admitted anxiously and tears slipped down Dawn’s face as she pulled her into a tight hug.
“You’ll always be my sister and I’ve missed you so much” She sobbed and Serena hugged her back just as tightly while a few tears slipped down her face. When they pulled away she gave Dawn a smile before it faltered as her eyes landed on the scar over her eye.
“My dad hurt you, didn’t he? That's why he’s in jail right?” She asked softly and Dawn winced slightly, she didn’t know if she should tell her what that man had done to her.
“Please be honest with me, I can handle it” Serena stated seriously and Dawn hesitated for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh.
“After the accident, he became a drunken mess but for the most part he just ignored me but then…” She trailed off as she turned and slipped her sweater and shirt up. A horrified gasp escaped Serena as she stared at all of the scars before her eyes went wide when she finally noticed the markings.
“I got wings and he didn’t take it well” Dawn admitted as she released her wings and Serena let out a choked-off sob as she saw how damaged they were.
“He told me that if you couldn’t experience the joy of having wings then neither should I” She explained as she slipped them away before pulling her shirt and sweater back down. She turned to face Serena and saw that she had tears streaming down her face.
“I let that excuse fester and infect me to the point that I believed it and it became a part of the reason why I refused to even think about getting surgery, but now I find out it was all based on a lie I just don’t know what to think” She said tiredly as she buried her face into her hands and Serenaa pulled her into a tight hug once again.
“I am so sorry Dawn you never deserved this” She whimpered brokenly and Dawn just sighed as she returned the hug simply relishing in her presence. After a couple of moments, she pulled away and gave Serena a gentle smile.
“Come on let me introduce you to my family, I think you’ll like them” She said softly Serena smiled as she nodded.
“I would love to” She said softly and Dawn grinned a bit as she stood and led her towards the house, a kind of pep in her step almost as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.
Captain: I have another daughter now!
Captain Sent A Picture
[Serena and Theo are wrestling on the ground while Dawn and Caspian egg them on in the background]
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