Antigua, Saturday Night

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Kathy's kotatsu had died an undignified death and the repair (something about proper voltage) was complicated enough to require several days of work. Faced with a girlfriend sad about the cold and, more importantly, faced with a girlfriend's frigid feet, Dante had made the executive decision that they needed a tropical vacation. Immediately. So last week, he'd basically shoved the entire household through a portal that opened to a small island in the Caribbean, complete with blue ocean, white sand, and an all-inclusive menu that contained more fruity booze cocktails than actual food items.

The week had been fun, in a lazy, let's-not-do-anything way, which had also had the side benefit of short-circuiting Kathy's "Christmas Crazy." She'd sprawled in the sun and read trashy novels and swam in the ocean and practiced her Spanish without a care. In fact, she'd lost track of the date until they were talking about returning home tomorrow and she realized that, oh shit, today was her birthday. (And also Dante's, but they didn't talk about that.)

A quick conversation with the resort, some handwavy phone calls to invite guests, and more fairy lights than a grown woman should really need and their little villa was turned into a tropical wonderland birthday party.

[Open! If you think you'd get a phone call (for either Kathy or Dante), you did! Dante modded with permission. No OCD]

Comments

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Kathy stood like that for a few more minutes until her breathing slowed and evened out. Took another minute after that, just letting his warmth soak into her, appreciating his scent. "Okay," she murmured. "'M okay now. Thanks."

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"You wanna talk about it?" Dante asked softly.

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Kathy nodded, tugging him over to the picnic table, still covered in detritus from the party. "I--did you talk to Alluka at all?" she asked. "About what she's been doing?"

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"What, like the Hunter thing?" Dante said, following her.

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"I guess," Kathy said. "But. With Nanika."

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Dante shook his head silently.

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"They can separate now," Kathy said. "At least for a little while. That. Um. Let's them do more things. Things they couldn't do before, with Nanika working through Alluka."

Her hands twisted back and forth over her wrists, turning the skin there red.

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"That's weird," Dante commented, watching her hands move. "Not why you're upset."

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"No," Kathy said. "I'm proud of her--them. They've grown so much from the girl who first came to Fandom. It's just--"

She pushed herself up. Started to pace. Kept wringing her hands. "Sarah." she said abruptly. "Before. When Sarah came back. She - they - couldn't bring her back. Not without her body. It would be too much. The cost would be too high."

She stopped. Looked Dante in the eyes. "It isn't. Anymore."

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Dante blinked rapidly, processing.

"Alluka... could bring your sister back?" he said slowly.

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Kathy nodded. "Umm. They'd need her spirit, at least. It would have to be in one of those weekends. When she was already back. But they could...keep her. Or something. I dunno. I didn't get the details."

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"Yeah, I can imagine," Dante said, frowning. "That's some heavy shit, Kat."

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"I know what you're going to say. We - we have an ethical consideration here, just
because we can doesn't meant we should - I'm not the only one who has ever lost someone."

Not even in this conversation, never mind anywhere else.

She lifted her chin. "But I don't care. I want my sister back."

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"I wasn't gonna say anything," Dante said, holding his hands up. "Besides maybe 'do you want to?'"

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"Oh."

As Dante had likely guessed, Kathy had spent a fair bit of time already winding herself up about said ethics.

"Umm. Then. Yes. Yes, I do."

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"Then it's worth doing," Dante said quietly.

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"She'd have to live with us," Kathy said. "I mean, obviously. But also - she'd be a fifteen year old. I'd be responsible for her. That means school and medical insurance and...everything."

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"We'd be responsible for her," Dante corrected her gently. "You wouldn't be doing it alone."

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There were not words that could describe how much she loved him for that correction. "And...you wouldn't mind?" Kathy asked. "We'd have to rearrange our whole house..."

They'd have to rearrange their whole lives. But the house was easier to think about.

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"I mean, everybody having their own bedroom is fun, but I can give up mine," Dante said softly. "I don't mind. I crash with you guys most of the time anyway."

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"She's my sister," Kathy said. "Shouldn't I be the one giving up my room?"

She liked her room. A lot. But she just wanted to be fair.

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"You need a safe space more than I do, Kat," Dante said, touching her cheek.

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"You're my safe space," Kathy said, reaching for him.

...He was right, though.

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"And I'll be happy to come hide in your bed with you whenever you need me to," Dante said, smiling as he hugged her close.

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"That would be every night I wasn't in Anders'," Kathy said, kissing his cheek. "Thank you," she murmured.