Summary: Even though it takes a few hours, Owen and Claire are there to catch Maisie when the events from the previous night catch up to her.
The once thunderous rain has slowed to a faint drizzle as Owen pulled into the nearly empty lot. Maisie kept her eyes closed as Owen and Claire whispered to each other in the front seat. She could only make out bits and pieces, but deciphered that they had arrived at a motel, and once one car door opened and shut, she assumed that Owen had gone to check in.
Everyone was worn down from their experiences at the Lockwood home, and even though it didn’t appear to be the most friendly establishment, Owen and Claire had agreed the motel was better than nothing.
Claire sighed in the front seat, looking around the run-down building. Faded graffiti lined the dirty brick walls as Owen walked back out of the small lobby. He nodded at Claire through the car window, a bittersweet smile on his face.
He opened her door for her and helped her steady herself, careful of her injury. “It’s not a castle, but it’ll do. Can you walk on your own?” His already humorless tone grew even more somber as he helped support her forearms. She nodded with a forced smile, taking a few awkward steps towards the hood of the car.
Owen ducked inside of the backseat, lifting Maisie out carefully. “Where are we?” she asked drowsily as he closed and locked the car doors. “We’re just going to stop here and get some sleep,” he explained as he moved towards the door, occasionally looking over his shoulder at Claire.
Claire watched her feet tread over moss that poked through the cracks in the pavement. Every step sent a dull pain shooting through her leg, but she continued on diligently. She had to.
Owen managed to get the door open while still cradling Maisie to his chest. He left the door ajar for Claire as he made his way to the closer of the two beds. Carefully, he pulled back the blankets before letting the girl slip between the layers.
Maisie shivered as the too-cold air hit her, but she still had a smile on her tired face. Noticing her chill bumps, Owen quickly secured the covers around her. The blue-gray blankets were thick, but still Owen hoped they would be enough.
She closed her eyes blissfully as he gently cupped her cheek. “It’s been a busy day, huh?” She nodded. “You could say that again.”
“Are you going to be okay tonight?” he asked, watching as, again, she nodded. “I’ll be fine- will you?"
"I think I’ll be alright,” he said. “Get some sleep, bug- we’ll be here for you in the morning.” “Okay,” she agreed as she began adjusting her position and letting her eyelids flutter closed. “Goodnight, Owen. Thank you,” she sighed as she began to doze off.
Owen turned around, finding a content Claire leaning against the doorframe. “What are you smirking about?” he asked as he flopped down on the spare bed, toeing his shoes off of his feet.
She hobbled over to join him, taking off her jacket and shoes as well. “Oh, nothing,” she said before curling into his side. He pulled her into his chest, letting his fingers card through her messy ponytail.
“Owen,” she breathed out, letting her grip on his shirt tighten. “Yeah?” he asked as he tilted his head down to catch a glimpse at her expression. “What are we going to do?” she asked.
Owen contemplated her question as his fingers twirled strands of her hair. “Well, tonight, we’re going to get some sleep. Tomorrow morning I’ll head out and find us some clothes so we can all at least begin to start over. I figured then we would drive for a while, and eventually, if everything goes the way I hope it does, we’ll end up at my cabin.”
Claire couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her face. “What about Maisie?” she asked, peering over him to see the little girl in the other bed. “If you agree, and if she wants to, I just assumed she would tag along,” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“I agree very much,” she replied. “Maybe we’ll talk about it with her tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow,” he echoed as confirmation. “Tonight, my dear Miss Dearing, we sleep,” he said as he wriggled slightly. Claire nodded as she pressed her face further into his shirt, letting sleep wash over her.
The next morning, the sound of flimsy plastic bags being rifled through awoke her. The LED alarm clock beside her bed read 8:21, and orange sunlight shone through the blinds. She stretched and let out a mewl of content, looking over to the next bed.
Maisie remained sound asleep, one foot sticking over the side of the bed. A fond smile made it’s way across Claire’s face as she surveyed the rest of the room, finding Owen seated at a small desk in the corner of the room.
Two plastic bags rested on the pale brown wood as Owen sorted out whatever was in them. “Morning,” he grunted without looking up. Claire hobbled over to the table, finding her leg feeling much better. “Hey,” she said in a raspy voice as she sat down across from him.
“There was a little store down the road, had some clothes. They’re not great, but they’ll do until we make it to a more stable environment. I also got a few necessities I figured we’d need if we’re going to be on the road for a while,” he said after a few moments of silence.
He handed her a medium cup, steam rising from the fragile container. “Coffee,” he said. “Thank you,” she moaned as she took a long drink. He smiled and took a sip of his own before reaching back into the bag. He pulled out a small aluminum packet which had the PopTart logo on it.
“I figured she’d want something when she woke up and I saw this in a vending machine,” he explained. They heard a yawn behind them and turned to see a very disheveled Maisie sitting on the bed.
“Hey,” Claire greeted quietly. “How’d you sleep?” Maisie rubbed her face before trudging towards the table. “It was okay- what about you guys?”
Owen pulled her into his lap easily, letting her slump against him. “It was okay,” Claire agreed. Owen nodded as well before speaking up. “I figured Claire could get a shower while we eat some breakfast, kiddo, and then it’ll be your turn.”
“Sounds good to me,” Claire said with a nod before standing up. “That bag’s yours,” he said, nodding his head to the bag closer to her. “Thank you,” she said before taking it with her as she took slow, stinging steps to the bathroom.
The edges of the window were yellowed in the small room, but Claire didn’t give it a second thought. She didn’t even peer into the shopping bag before she stepped into the shower.
The water pooling at her feet was a murky brown from the dried blood and mud that covered her skin. She watched it disappear down the drain as the events of the previous day washed away.
She scrubbed her skin raw trying to accept that they were okay. She could hear the faint sound of a television show coming from the room, and knew that Owen was probably eating more pop tarts than Maisie. They were being normal, she told herself.
Soap suds slipped down her sore body. Her wound looked less volatile after being thoroughly cleaned, and though it hurt like hell, she was convinced she could handle it herself.
She didn’t rush in the shower; she let herself relax, allowing the heat to soothe her muscles. She spent thirty minutes under the warm spray , cleaning her body and her hair, before stepping out onto the bath mat. She reached for the bag, finding bandages (she assumed for her leg), what appeared to be a pair of leggings, and a dark green pullover.
She smiled at Owen’s thoughtfulness before dressing her injury and pulling on the clean clothes. Without the sound of the shower, she could decipher the voice of Bugs Bunny from the tv, joined by an occasional laugh or giggle.
She took a few slow, deep breaths before gathering her things and leaving the bathroom. Her damp hair rested on her shoulders as she came into the main room, smiling at the sight before her.
Maisie and Owen sat beside each other on the foot of the bed. She was nuzzled into his side as one arm was wrapped around her, half a poptart in the other. Maisie had eaten all of hers and was content with watching the cartoon.
She briefly wondered if Maisie had ever eaten one of the sugary breakfast foods before, but pushing the question away. “Hi,” Maisie said with a smile upon noticing Claire, gaining Owen’s attention as well.
“Hey, you two. What’s going on?” she said before sitting on the other side of Maisie. “Owen brought me breakfast!” she said with a grin surprisingly large for such a simple thing. “And he let me watch cartoons!” Owen’s smile was bittersweet as he gently rubbed her shoulder. By the excitement she got from such little things, you’d have thought she had been locked in a tower her whole life.
“That’s awesome,” Claire said before turning her attention to Owen. “What time do we have to be out of here?”
“Noon,” he answered before standing up and getting the second bag from the table, kneeling in front of Maisie. “You want to a get a shower before we leave, right, Kiddo? I got you some clean clothes,” he explained before handing her the bag. “Do you want help?” Claire asked after seeing the girl nod, feeling unsure of herself.
Maisie carefully accepted the bag before shaking her head. “No, I’ll be okay,” she said with a shy smile. She slipped of the bed and entered the bathroom, closing the door with a sigh.
Claire leaned back on the bed, letting her legs dangle off of the end. Owen laid down beside her and let his hand intertwine with hers. “She seems… adjusted,” Claire said with hope. Owen clicked his tongue before sighing. “I saw this kind of thing in the Navy- I think she’s in shock still, maybe denial.”
“So she’ll crash at some point? What do we do then? Owen-” Sensing her getting upset, he cut her off. “When, or if, she does crash, we’ll catch her. We’re all that she has now,” he assured before bringing her knuckles to his lips. Claire nodded slowly in agreement, just slightly tightening her grip on his hand.
They laid in silence for several minutes, giving half of their attention to the animated characters still on the dusty screen and half to their thoughts. The silence was shattered after they heard a “thud” from the bathroom, causing both of them to shoot up.
They hurried to the door, Owen knocking firmly against the reddish wood. “Maisie, honey? Are you okay?” Claire asked skeptically. There was silence for a few moments, only increasing the worry in the two adults. Owen knocked again. “Maisie?”
Claire tried to open the door, feeling a lump rise in her throat when it wouldn’t budge. “It’s locked,” she said, hating how strangled her words sounded. “Maisie, please, unlock the door. Are you okay?” Owen pressed.
He was seriously considering ramming it down when they heard the faint click of a lock. The door slowly opened, revealing Maisie. Her damp hair was tied into double braids that laid on the clothes Owen had picked up, her eyes red and lip quivering. A sob left her throat and Owen felt his stomach drop.
They both dropped to their knees and pulled the girl close to them, letting her cry loudly as they held her. “I miss Grandpa,” she choked out desperately. Owen rubbed her back softly, his chest aching in sympathy. Claire rested her head on top of hers as Maisie cried into her shoulder.
“I love you guys, but I just-” she hiccuped. “I miss him s- so much.” Owen nodded before speaking up, his voice soft and warm. “We know we’ll never replace your family, sweetheart. We just want to be there for you until you decide what you want to do in the long run, and if that includes us, then even better. But no matter what, we’ve got you.”
Maisie pulled back and wiped her face, tear tracks covering her rosy cheeks. Claire had tears of her own in her glassy eyes as she held on tightly to the girl’s frail hand. Owen pulled her into his chest gently, giving her quick peck on the cheek before pushing her away just slightly. He used his thumbs to wipe away her remaining teardrops.
“Are you feeling a little better?” he asked just above a whisper. She nodded with a small whimper, her body wracking with the remaining shallow sobs that refused to go away. He sighed before pulling her into another hug.
Claire stood up after a few moments. “We love you, Maisie, okay? Anytime you need to talk to us about anything, we’ll listen,” she said softly before sitting on the bed closest to her. Owen stood up as well, taking Maisie with him.
The three laid on the bed together, Maisie huddled in the middle. They watched the remaining cartoons in comfortable silence, apart from Maisie’s occasional dry sobs.
As the credits began to roll, Maisie pressed a kiss to Claire’s cheek and then to Owen’s. “Thank you,” she said as Owen and Claire shared a similar expression.
“It’s what we’re here for,” Owen said as he ran his hand up and down her back soothingly. “We’ll always be here for you honey,” Claire agreed as she playfully nudged Maisie’s shoulder with her own.
Maisie giggled before giving the woman a tight hug, finding the smile on her face genuine. Owen watched with a grin of his own. Careful not to disturb them, he gathered their few belongings and turned off the TV.
“It’s almost time to go,” he said, not particularly happy about it. Claire and Maisie hopped down from the bed and did a quick sweep, making sure they took everything with them. “Ready?” Claire asked Maisie with a nervous smile.
“Ready,” Maisie agreed before taking the hand Owen offered her and heading to the car. “Y'know, I’m sure that we’ll find an ice cream shop in a couple of days- how does that sound to you girls?
"Yay!” Maisie said with a giggle. Owen held his breath in anticipation as he waited for Claire’s answer, nearly positive she would lecture him about health. To his surprise, she smiled. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.”
“Okay- next stop, ice cream!”
