[Emerson Vanderbilt]

Salt, sweat, sugar on the asphalt
Our hearts littering the topsoil

cw: car crash and emotional trauma/ptsd

---

The night had been shaping up to be a great one. Emie was with some friends at the drive-in theater. There was a showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Emie was absolutely buzzing with excitement. It was one of her favorites, and it was always a fun watch. She’d even worn a gold sequin blazer over her white tank top and jean shorts. She didn’t have a full Columbia costume, but it was fun all the same.

Throughout the movie, there were plenty of popcorn, candy, and beers passed around. The large group of friends shared laughter and took turns acting out the lines. The Time Warp was danced to, and Damnit Janet was sung. All in all, a good night.

The balmy summer air was thick and warm. Emie took off her jacket and put it in the backseat of Sara’s car. They were all still talking and finishing up their drinks after the movie ended. Their group had made up the majority of the cars at the theater tonight, and the staff didn’t seem to care that they were still loitering.

As some of the cars full of young adults left, Emie found her way back over to Sara. It was Sara who volunteered to be the designated driver tonight, but when Emie caught up to her it was clear that she’d been drinking anyway.

”Oh no.” Emie groaned. She was buzzed, and she wouldn’t be comfortable driving them home anyway. She looked around to see who all was left. Liam had already taken off, and most of the others were making their way to their own cars. Emie spotted Tyler, and knew he wouldn’t be drunk and hadn't driven his own car. ”Yo, Tyler! Hold up!”

Tyler turned and paused, waiting for Emie to make the short jog over to him. ”Hey, sorry. Yeah, Sara’s drunk, there’s no way either of us can drive. You wanna do us a solid and drive her car back?”

”Oh, sure. Let me just grab my stuff from Jared’s car.” Tyler obliged, glancing at Sara and agreeing - she should not be driving.

”I’m fine, really.” Sara protested, but she still handed over her keys to Tyler when he came back.

”No, you aren’t fine to drive.” Emie was usually pretty much the go with the flow type of person, but not about this. She was anxious enough when she was in the car, there was no way that she could handle Sara driving. The girl was a complete light-weight, and even though she’d probably only had a couple drinks it was clear she shouldn’t be driving. She was a little wobbly on her feet.

Once the trio made it back to Sara’s yellow chevy aveo, they all piled in. It was a tiny little car, the backseat was barely big enough for a kid, which meant that was where Emie was going. They’d driven out there with Ally as well, but she’d left with one of the other groups. By the time they were in the car and situated, it seemed like everyone else had gone.

”Alright, lets get home.” Tyler pulled out of the parking lot. Sara turned up the radio. All four windows were rolled down, and the air felt like it was getting thicker, heavy with humidity. Emie didn’t want to be a buzz kill, but her nerves were wreaking havoc on her. Sara unbuckled her seatbelt and turned around. Emie didn’t realize what she was doing until it was too late. Before anyone could stop her, Sara climbed into the backseat with Emie, kicking Tyler as she went. He swerved, trying to keep control. Emie grabbed onto Sara, trying to keep her from flying around the car as the spun.

The world seemed to close in, squeezing the air out of Emie's lungs. She had Sara embraced in her own arms, holding tightly as she could to keep the unrestrained girl from going flying through the air. Her small car wasn't built for fast maneuvering, and it flipped onto the driver's side with the sudden correction Tyler tried to make. Emie could hear screams. Her own? Sara's? Tylers? She wasn't certain.

The car stopped moving after sliding a couple feet. Emie was laying against the door and gravel, Sara mostly unharmed on top of her. She could feel the shattered glass that spilled from inside the door. She felt the roadrash that scraped her face and left arm. But she couldn’t focus on any of it. Tyler was already climbing out, scaling up to the passenger door and pushing it open.

"Sara, Emie?" He called back to them, checking on them as he climbed out of the car. He had his cellphone out and dialed 911 as soon as he was out of the car. "I think we're both okay." Sara answered, as she started pulling herself up, back toward the front seat and the door Tyler was holding open.

Emie knew she had to move. She had to get out of the car. But she was trembling. In her head she was fourteen again and pinned in the backseat. She was helpless while her mother and brother bleed out from their injuries in minutes. Emie had tears streaming down her face but she hardly recognized it. Tyler and Sara were both calling her, trying to make sure she was alright.

"I.. I'm okay.. I'm not really hurt." Her voice shook as she spoke. She could hear Tyler, still talking to the operator, answering a million questions. But she didn't move. She couldn't get herself to get out of the car.

Suddenly she had another realization. She had blood on her white tank top, on her face and arm as well she assumed. Unless Sara was cut and bleeding, she was going to have to explain where it came from. Her fear intensified.

Tyler was back at the open door. She thought he was asking if she could move, if she needed help out of the car. Emie unbuckled her seatbelt and got to her knees. The car was cramped, and it was difficult to assess herself, but she knew she was going to be physically fine in a matter of hours.

"I'm okay. I can move. I'll- I'll get out in a minute." She could already hear sirens wailing in the distance. She fouls her jacket and pulled it on to cover her arm. Still trembling, Emie stood up. She had to get out of the car, even it it meant risking her friends finding out about her gift. The memories of being trapped were flooding back again and she was about to have a full on panic attack. It was probably too late to stop it happening now either way, honestly.

---

Christian Savino
This is so much, let me know if you want me to change anything. Do whatever with the NPCs and feel free to move Emie too.

[Christian Savino]

[nospaces]

IN THE VELVET DARKNESS

of the blackest night, burning bright, there's a guiding star

[break]

[attr="class","quailfoot-text"]Christian was nearing the end of his shift and it had gone as smoothly as any patrol officer could really hope for on a summer night in a city such as Los Eurosia. His shoes had only been thrown up on once, he'd only been swung on twice, and the name-calling had been refreshingly imaginative. He was sure the worst was behind him and he was on the wind-down. Then dispatch radioed in a car accident near the drive-in theatre and he felt his stomach plummet. What was a few more hours, anyway? [break][break]

"Savino responding." He flipped on his siren and turned his vehicle around. A beat later, his radio sounded again. "Sheppard responding, two minutes out." [break][break]

Ugh. Derek. Christian scowled, the corners of his mouth making a quick downturn as he glanced at the information on his computer screen. He knew Officer Sheppard hated traffic accidents; he'd confessed as much while nestled beneath Christian's blankets, weeks before Christian decided they'd seen enough of one another. Derek had been a little frosty since then and Christian suspected he was in for a bit of a toe-off. Maybe a couple of hours would feel like an eternity after all.[break][break]

As he approached the scene, Christian turned off his siren and parked his SUV at an angle well behind the wreckage, throwing on his hazards in addition to the light bar. On the other side of the small, upheaved car, he could see that Officer Sheppard had done the same. An ambulance was already on scene and traffic was resuming a slow crawl around the entire mess. He stepped out of his vehicle and glanced around appraisingly. EMTs were looking over the involved parties and he could pick out the familiar shape of his brother reaching out to a woman still standing amid the wreckage. Only one car and it wasn't wrapped around a pole or flipped into a ditch. No screaming or hysterical sobbing. He figured he could breathe a bit.[break][break]

"Hey, Chrissy. Beat'cha." Derek's voice called out to him and he turned with a thin smile to acknowledge the other officer. Officer Sheppard was all swagger as he ambled forward, a cheap smile pulled lightly across his face while he winked. Christian felt himself inwardly bristle at the name — something he'd confessed to hating on the same sleepy morning.[break][break]

"Not a race, Sheppard. You never seemed to get that." Christian quipped back cheerlessly, only doing somewhat well at keeping the weariness from his voice. Derek's face visibly staled and, after a short moment, he smacked his lips and gazed about. "Right. I'll handle the questioning," his voice lowered to a mutter, just quiet enough to still be heard. "Since I can keep my stories straight." Christian's eyelids fluttered and he fastened his tongue between his teeth. This was so adolescent. He was never sleeping with a coworker again. It just wasn't worth it. "If medical gives the all-clear, give these kids the breathalyzer and start taking pictures. Seems like a clear-cut, drunken adolescent shitshow to me. Sooner we get this done, the better."[break][break]

"My pleasure," Christian smiled, wide but ingenuine, as he turned away, and Derek snorted a short, quiet laugh. "Yeah, I bet." Christian fought the urge to roll his eyes and opted instead to roll his shoulders as he returned to his car and began pulling supplies from the back. He could hear Derek asking for details and the paramedics chiding him in the distance. Everyone sounded fine and he was relieved. If there had been another vehicle involved, he imagined things might have been a lot different.[break][break]

"Hey! Vino!" Christian lifted his head, gaze finding and holding his brother's from where he stood by the wrecked car. The girl was still standing there, caged in by the metal. Adrian jerked his head and Christian slammed shut his car door, slung the camera over his shoulder, and started a brisk half-jog in his direction. As he approached, he tried to get a read on his brother's features but only found them composed and stern; collected and solid in a way he'd only mastered well after their youth. Christian's gaze shifted to the young woman and he realized he knew her.[break][break]

"Emie?" Christian inquired, concern and surprise bleeding into his voice as he slowed and glanced her over. Her muscles were visibly rigid even as she trembled, her face was tracked with tears and grit, and her eyes were wide and rounded with something more than simple shock or fear. He felt his heart clench in his chest. "Are you okay?" Even as he spoke the question to her, his face turned quickly to Adrian. [break][break]

"Physically, probably more than okay. She's healing." His voice was quiet and he stepped on the final word, brow making a subtle jump. Christian's gaze widened slightly and he looked back at her, focusing on the reddened skin where gravel had bitten hungrily into the side of her face. Though it was far slower than Adrian's own healing, he could see the very faintest suggestion of smoothing at the wound's edges. He licked his lips and nodded. "Okay." [break][break]

"Hey, Ems?" He raised his voice back to a normal speaking volume, letting it soften into something cautious and imploring as he touched a hand to her shoulder. He thought of the many nights he'd spent in the young Vanderbilt's apartment, sharing laughs and grins every time her older step-sister came to Los Eurosia and stayed with her and her brother. Sometimes Christian would steal Melissa away for a night of catching up among their friends at his own apartment or out in bars and clubs, but other times, when Melissa wasn't up for that, they'd stay in with her family. Watch movies, play board games, throw around popcorn, and gossip and gasp over all the exciting things Melissa was getting up to while chasing big dreams in Los Angeles. More than once he'd woken in the morning on the living room floor, watching Emie's slippered feet tiptoe around trying not to wake them. "You're alright. Let us help you out of the car, we've got you. Are you hurt anywhere else?" [break][break]

Gingerly, the pair of Savinos both helped the girl climb from the frame. "Got her?" Christian grunted quietly to Adrian, who gave a curt nod. As his brother nudged Emie to sit on the ground and knelt beside her to access her wounds, Christian took a couple of steps back and started imploring the people around them for some breathing space. His eyes scanned the concerned faces of Emie's friends and the other paramedics who were checking them over; they all slowly shuffled back to make some room.[break][break]

"I can do that, too, you know." Adrian was saying quietly, as Christian turned back and knelt beside them. His brother was cleaning the wound on her cheek and Christian pulled the paramedic bag toward him and began rooting around. When he looked at her, he — for the first time — noticed the blazer wrapped around her arm, then a moment later the red splashes of blood on her white undershirt. He lifted his eyes to hers, probing about the widened panic there. When he spoke, he did so softly, trying to draw her from wherever she'd gone. "So, Rocky Horror, huh? Melissa ever tell you that we once went to a house party as Magenta and Riff Raff?" He chuckled, tearing open a package of sterile gauze pads. He held one gingerly to the healing wound on her cheek and snuck his fingers into hers to lift her hand to her face to replace his own. "You can hold that there so no one sees." A short beat later he lowered his voice to a conspirative whisper. "I was Magenta, she was Riff Raff, by the way. Can we look at your arm?"

[break]

no matter what or who you are [break]
there's a light in the darkness of everybody's life

Tag: Emerson Vanderbilt [break]
Give me a nudge for changes!

[newclass=.quailfoot-text b]color:#3B3F88;font-size:8pt;font-family:Open Sans, sans serif;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Poppins][googlefont=Open Sans]

[Emerson Vanderbilt]

Salt, sweat, sugar on the asphalt
Our hearts littering the topsoil

cw: car crash and emotional trauma/ptsd

---

The world was wrong. Emie knew where she was, she knew what happened, but all she could see in her head was Emmett’s face. It was in his voice that her mind was yelling at her to get out of the car, to move, to take the risk. But Emie was frozen in place. Her fear and her panic were both stopping her from making any effort to climb out of the car like Tyler and Sara had done.

”Emie, come on, we can help you get out.” Tyler was coaxing, trying to get her to move.

”The lady said don’t move her.” Sara countered, referring to the operator she was now talking to, Tyler having handed off the phone to her. ”She’s not hurt, right? She said she was okay. Oh, the ambulance is here.” Sara clicked the end button and handed Tyler back his phone.

Emie could hear them talking, but the words sounded like they were coming through a tunnel. She could hear when the paramedics came up to the car and looked in at her, checking that she wasn’t actually trapped, but just wasn’t out yet.

”Single vehicle on its side. Three patients, two out of the vehicle, no entrapment, injuries appear minor, investigating, units on scene can handle.” The paramedic spoke into his radio, then came back over to the car. ”Let’s work on getting you out here with us, alright?”

Emie glanced at the paramedic, but she didn’t process much of what he was saying. She could feel that she was still trembling. She wanted to get out of the car. She wanted to focus on what they were saying to her. She just couldn’t. Hearing her name from a new voice snapped Emie more to attention than she had been.

When Emie saw Christian, it took her a moment to process. She nodded when he asked if she was okay, but he had already turned to the paramedic for confirmation. She couldn’t hear what he said, but then Christian looked back to survey her again. It was a blur of words and motions after that. Emie let them help her out of the car, and sat when the paramedic instructed her to. This was too familiar, too similar to seven years ago. The tears were threatening to spill out again, but she took a shaky breath to attempt to stop them.

She could hear her friends’ protests, wanting to rush to her side, Sara crying out that it was her fault and she needed to make sure her friend was okay. She glanced around, her awareness of present circumstance snapping back in place. The paramedic was examining her. He’d see she was healing. He’d know that she was different.

”I can do that, too, you know.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in. Emie looked at the paramedic, eyes even wider, as Christian came back over. They looked… similar, resembled each other. They seemed to work together seamlessly. She looked between them, she read the name badge on the paramedic’s jacket. A. Savino... She didn’t have the words ready to ask right now, but she noticed. She was back in the present more solidly now, the flashbacks subsiding.

”I… saw the pictures.” She nodded slightly, remembering how proud Melissa had been about the costume. Melissa was probably one of the reasons Emie loved the movie so much, they’d watched it together countless times. ”You made a great Magenta.”

Emie held her hand where Christian instructed. He was treating her like he always had, not looking at her any different now that he knew the truth. She didn’t know what to make of that. She hadn't planned to reveal her gift, and certainly not like this. She was grateful that he was being so chill about it, that he was here to help her through this.

”Christian, my chest hurts.” She looked down as she spoke. “I’m having a panic attack.”

She’d had many panic attacks over the past seven years, but they had grown from frequent to few and far between the last few years. Therapy had helped, but it couldn’t erase the memories and flashbacks completely. This would be a setback, surely. She tried to remember what the therapist had taught her to do. Focus on something you can see. Something you can feel. Something you can smell. Recenter and breathe. But it was so hard to breathe right now, when it felt like the air was being pulled out of her lungs.

---

Christian Savino
Let me know for changes.

[Christian Savino]

[nospaces]

IN THE VELVET DARKNESS

of the blackest night, burning bright, there's a guiding star

[break]

[attr="class","quailfoot-text"]Emie was undoubtedly detached and far away as they nudged her around. Even her nods seemed delayed and distant. However, as Christian had intended, she seemed to come around just a bit at his probing party question and replied that his costume had been great. The sound of her voice, though shaky and somewhat vacant, was a relief in itself and his mouth curled at its corners. Then fell infinitesimally when her head bowed and she announced she in-midst of a panic attack. [break][break]

Almost as a knee-jerk reaction, Christian reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder. He knew car accidents were scary. Even though no one had been gravely injured, the possibilities of worse outcomes and the terror of the whole thing was enough to shake anyone. "Okay, that's okay. You, your friends, everyone is alright." [break][break]

Christian wasn't a paramedic. He'd never had an anxiety attack and had no experience with coaxing any one of his family or friends through one. However, he had plenty of experience calming stricken, shocked, and/or hysterical civilians and there was some textbook teachings he could recall from his Academy days. He knew what a panic attack looked like on paper — a tightness in the chest, rigidness, and shallow breaths. He knew it was difficult to think, to be anything but afraid or lost, and knew coming out of one was much more complicated than simply "calming down". Though Emie appeared much more present than she had been previously, he imagined it was important to not give her room to drift or, worse, grow frantic. [break][break]

His gaze flickered to Adrian who, even as he prodded calmly through his gear bag, was watching him — waiting to catch his eye. The older Savino paused, made a motion as if taking a long inhale, and Christian tongue darted across his lips. "Okay," he glanced back, inwardly steeling himself. "Let's just take some deep breaths and count." [break][break]

"Emie, hey, look at me." Christian craned a bit down with a tip to his head, trying to get a peek at her downcast face and ready to meet her eyes should she raise them. As he spoke, he could see Adrian working in his periphery; cautiously unwrapping the jacket from where it was wound around Emie's arm to peer at the wounds she'd presumably concealed. He fought the temptation to glance down himself — to gauge the seriousness of her injury — and made a conscious effort to keep his gaze steadily upon her face, trying to hold her attention and keep her centered. His brother didn't need his help assessing road rash, he knew, but perhaps he could do his part in trying to keep Emie here. He gave her shoulder a squeeze then smoothed his fingers down her upper arm in a gentle rub, hoping the press of his fingers would be somewhat grounding. "We'll do it together, alright? It'll be like Mountain Pose." He chanced a a tiny smile; just the slightest tug at one corner of his mouth, meant to be light and encouraging. "Well... a sitting down Mountain Pose."[break][break]

Christian settled back a bit, giving her a bit of space and letting his hand fall from her arm to settle atop her shoe. He drew in a long, deep breath through his nose and exaggerated it, lifting himself with the motion and rolling his shoulders up and back as one did when starting any Yoga routine. He marked the long, stretching seconds with firm taps to the top of her foot. 1, 2, 3, 4. "Hold it." Four more taps, then he blew the breath through his lips, dipping his head in an encouraging nod as he restarted. [break][break]

"I'm going to clean your arm, okay?" Adrian's voice was soft but firm. "It might be a little cold and uncomfortable but healing over grit would be even more so. Then I'll get you wrapped up so you don't have to worry. Sound good, Emie?"

[break]

no matter what or who you are [break]
there's a light in the darkness of everybody's life

Tag: Emerson Vanderbilt [break]
Give me a nudge for any changes! I'm working with the [break]
assumption that Christian isn't aware of Emie's past accident.

[newclass=.quailfoot-text b]color:#3B3F88;font-size:8pt;font-family:Open Sans, sans serif;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Poppins][googlefont=Open Sans]

[Emerson Vanderbilt]

Salt, sweat, sugar on the asphalt
Our hearts littering the topsoil

cw: car crash and emotional trauma/ptsd

---

It was lucky Christian had responded. Even in the midst of her panic attack, Emie used his presence to try to keep herself focused on the present. He’d known Melissa a long time, but Emie didn’t know if they’d been close enough friends seven years ago for her to tell him about the accident. About Emmett and Rose. Emie closed her eyes and tried to take in a deep breath when Christian assured her everyone was okay. She shook her head, and turned unfocused eyes back to him. ”Sara and Tyler are okay?” She could see them up, talking with the other officer, Sara visibly upset, but she needed the confirmation.

”Sara, she wasn’t buckled, she was climbing in the back.” Emie rambled out what had happened. ”I thought it was okay to go if she wasn’t driving.. I asked Tyler because he was sober. But she kicked him or something. I tried to hold onto her, to stop her getting hurt..” Emie was starting to tremble again, the event still so vivid, so fresh. She hadn't considered that a drunken passenger could be as dangerous as a drunken driver.

"Emie, hey, look at me."

The words brought her focus back to him. She looked back up then gave a slight wince when the other Savino started moving her jacket, not from pain but from instinct. She wasn’t used to letting anyone see when she was hurt.

Christian was reassuring, calm, and steadying. Emie even gave the faintest smile when he mentioned Mountain Pose. Yoga was what her therapist had recommended for her as a method to help with the panic attacks and the lingering guilt. That was how she had found yoga in the first place. She nodded, and let Christian guide her through the breathing. She didn’t know if he knew just how much it was helping her, but either way, she was grateful.

Emie’s panic attack had all but ended, and she was no longer feeling numb. It was a blessing and a curse. She would feel the pain coming from her arm and cheek. He was right, it needed to be cleaned, and quickly. A problem with healing so fast was if you healed wrong, it was a bitch. ”Okay.” She nodded, prepared for more discomfort. She looked between the two Savinos.

”Are you brothers?” She had known Christian had brothers, but he and Melissa were already four and five years older than her, and she was sure Melissa said he was the youngest. Being brave must run in their family. It also made her wonder, if the other Savino was gifted, was Christian? Emmett had been, and it was genetic. She took in a sharp breath, and pushed back the urge to let out more tears from thinking about Emmett.

”Sorry.. I- I know I shouldn’t be this wigged out. But…” Emie paused, looking back at the wrecked car for a few seconds before continuing. ”Did Melissa ever tell you about my mom and twin brother?” Another thought dawned and Emie’s eyes widened slightly, but not in the same distant way they had been before. ”Wait, you haven’t texted her or anything, right? She doesn’t know about this yet, does she?”

---

Christian Savino
Let me know for changes.

[Christian Savino]

[nospaces]

IN THE VELVET DARKNESS

of the blackest night, burning bright, there's a guiding star

[break]

[attr="class","quailfoot-text"]For a moment, Emie seemed primed to spiral again. She spoke of the accident, voice growing more frantic and body starting another violent tremor as she recalled its scary details. Fortunately, however, she followed Christian's direction and the breathing exercise seemed to put her a little more at ease. After they cycled through the counts of four a couple of times, she seemed fairly more grounded and alert. Christian felt something in him soothe a bit and he finally chanced a glance toward the injured arm Adrian held between firm fingers. [break][break]

She asked if they were brothers and nearly-matching smiles tugged across both Christian and Adrian's faces; only the faintest pulls at the same corners of their mouths. They shared a quick glance then Adrian lifted his brow and heaved a sigh. "Unfortunately, it does seem that way," he started jokingly, as he squeezed a bottle of solution over Emie's injury and wiped gingerly at the debris embedded in her skin. "Our mom won't admit Chris is adopted but we all have our doubts." Christian's mouth thinned with faux annoyance and he looked at Emie with a quirked brow before leaning the tiniest bit closer and whispering. "They're just pressed that our parents saved all the charm and good looks for me." He winked. [break][break]

Then he blinked slowly, expression returning to soft attention, as Emie glanced toward the wreckage and began apologizing for her attack. He shook his head barely, squeezing the top of her shoe, and then shook his head a bit more forcibly when she asked if Melissa had told him about her mother and her own brother. Nothing leaped to his memory. Truthfully, Christian knew very little about the half of Emie's family that wasn't shared between the two girls. Already, it felt heavy — there was a weight, possibly imagined, to Emie's pause and the way she spoke, that made Christian instinctively feel it wasn't a happy story. [break][break]

"No, she... never mentioned it." He paused, prepared to gauge if probing was warranted. He took a breath, lips parting — [break][break]

"Savino!" Both brothers lifted their heads at the call, attention swiveling toward where Derek stood. The man immediately rolled his eyes, shoulders slacking under their twin stares. "Officer Savino," he amended with obvious annoyance, then lifted his arms to beckon at the scene around them, apparently vexed that Christian had busied himself elsewhere. Christian only shook his head, suppressing an eye roll, and turned back. Sheppard could handle the scene perfectly well on his own for now. Even if — judging by the looks of the other paramedics (and even Emie's friends) — he was doing a somewhat off-putting job of it so far. [break][break]

He could hear Derek muttering and stomping but ignored it, choosing instead to push forward and seat himself on the road's shoulder directly beside Emie. With conscious effort, he resisted the urge to sling an arm around her and jostle her against him in a comforting side hug. If her arm hadn't been injured, he might have. But he was too aware of her slight, pained countenance as Adrian began wrapping her up. So he simply contented himself with knocking the side of his boot against her shoe and leaving it there; gravel and glass crunching on the asphalt beneath the movement. [break][break]

"Do you... want to tell me? I haven't reached out to Melissa, no. But I can if you'd like." He wasn't sure if Emie was alarmed by the idea of him having already contacted her sister or if she desperately wanted him to. Perhaps Melissa was the comforting presence she needed at the moment.

[break]

no matter what or who you are [break]
there's a light in the darkness of everybody's life

Tag: Emerson Vanderbilt [break]
Give me a nudge for any changes!

[newclass=.quailfoot-text b]color:#3B3F88;font-size:8pt;font-family:Open Sans, sans serif;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Poppins][googlefont=Open Sans]

[Emerson Vanderbilt]

Salt, sweat, sugar on the asphalt
Our hearts littering the topsoil

cw: death, car crash and emotional trauma/ptsd

---

The grit in her arm stung as she felt the liquid wash over it. She was thankful to have a distraction. She looked between the brothers, with their nearly identical smiles. It was cute. They joked with each other easily and it felt so normal, even while they were sat in debris and emergency lights flashed around them. ”That sounds just like what the baby of the family would say.” She thought about her youngest sibling, Samantha, and how she could absolutely picture her saying something strikingly similar.

She was sure he knew it, but the way Christian reassured her, even just a squeeze of the shoe or hand on the arm, was helping. It reminded her someone was there, she wasn’t alone. Not like last time.

He confirmed that Melissa had never told him, and it wasn’t a surprise. It was hard to talk about, for all of them. She was sure that Melissa and Liam had their own trauma from it. Emmett was close with them too, they had been stepsiblings for about a decade. Before he said anything else, the other officer yelled and both brothers looked at him in unison. Emie was worried that Christian would have to go take care of something else, perhaps someone else, but he shook his head and stayed, positioning himself beside her. She let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding.

”Oh, no.. please don’t tell her. I-” Emie could feel the panic start to rise up again, and she took a deep breath to keep herself calm. ”I’m glad you didn’t. It might be… upsetting. And she’d tell my dad and it would be a bigger thing than it is.”

Emie stared off, past the flashing lights from the ambulance and patrol vehicles, more like off into the past. She could visualize sitting on the ground, much like she was now. It was pouring rain. The paramedic was confused by how she wasn’t really hurt, but it had taken them so long to get her out of the back that she could easily excuse it and say the blood that remained on her was Emmetts, not her own. She had tried to get to him, but she was blocked off from the front by the seats, the only thing that kept her from being completely crushed with how the SUV had landed.

That wasn’t tonight. She looked down at the ground beneath them. Glass, gravel, and bits of metal were all around them. She felt bad that Christian had sat down in it, that his brother was kneeling in it to tend to her arm. She supposed they were both used to scenes like this, and scenes worse than this. Ones like last time…

”Seven years ago, I was on a road trip with my mom and Emmett. I was in the back, right behind Emmett. It was raining pretty bad, and we were being idiots. He said something about me being so much shorter than him, and I said I wasn’t too short to reach him, and I pinched his ear. Mom looked back at me and yelled at us to knock it off and let her drive.” Emie didn’t stop the couple tears that formed from falling down her cheek. ”The car in front had stopped suddenly, and we hit it. We flipped, and neither of them made it. I was trapped in the backseat and couldn’t get out. I couldn’t help them. Mom died there, and Emmett in the ambulance. It’s why.. It’s why I’m such a mess right now. I know everyone is okay, but it just… feels so bad.”

She continued staring at the ground, worried she’d said too much, been too honest. She usually didn’t dump her trauma on other people like this, but Christian and his brother made her feel safe. She needed Christian to see why she was so freaked out. She needed someone who understood, and she didn't feel like she could talk to her friends about any of this.

---

Christian Savino
This one’s heavy. Let me know for changes.

[Christian Savino]

[nospaces]

IN THE VELVET DARKNESS

of the blackest night, burning bright, there's a guiding star

[break]

[attr="class","quailfoot-text"]Christian could predict the ending of the story almost immediately after Emie began and his hand instinctively sought the one held idle in her lap while she worked through it. Her eyes were fixed and unblinking, growing glossy with big, fat tears that spilled over her cheeks as she recounted the accident (in a vivid play-by-play that made it apparent she wasn't only telling it, but reliving it). Christian's own eyelids fluttered as he watched her face, feeling his chest clench empathetically. [break][break]

Seven years ago. Christian did the math briefly in his head. He and Melissa had only just begun talking around that time. Now, with the bit of context Emie provided, he supposed the incident was what had brought them together in the first place. She'd been absent from school for a bit. Rumors swirled of death in her family — something the Savino in him had absolutely ached to hear. Even with a family as big as his, he hadn't experienced something like that. Still hadn't. Even then, he'd dreaded it.[break][break]

When Melissa had returned, she'd done her best to hide her despondency from her friends and peers. Even though Christian hadn't known her well at the time, he'd still been watchful. And if her proclivity for putting on a brave face was the first thing he'd really noticed about her, recognizing the cracks in that bravado was the second. A smile that was too tight. Eyes that were too far away. An empty laugh that trailed to silence as she turned from a conversation to compose herself. He'd learned the tells. But he hadn't asserted himself. She was a popular girl and had her friends. Circles that weren't his own. He'd simply supposed that they'd notice, too, and know infinitely better how to reach her. [break][break]

But then she'd hit a wall. And it was perhaps because none of her friends had been there to witness it, that she'd allowed herself to hit it hard. [break][break]

It was dropped books and scattered papers in a quickly-emptying corridor that'd finally done it. Second bell had already rung and the few people left in the halls only hurried past her, desperate to reach their rooms before that precious minute (where a gracious teacher might ignore a tardy) could lapse. Christian had held the door for her. But when he'd glanced back at her standing there — back turned to him, head bowed and arms rigid at her sides — he'd stepped back out and let it click shut without them. [break][break]

As Christian edged silently forward and began gathering the papers strewn across the hall by rushed feet, her shoulders started to shake. She threw her head back and sniffled. When he approached and started to say her name, she'd spun around as if slapped, face smeared with tears and eyes wide with surprise. She'd thought she was alone. And, upon seeing him, she broke. Swayed where she stood, face twisting into the saddest expression he'd ever seen. [break][break]

He'd nudged her into the nearby girl's restroom and she'd slid down the wall. He'd done the same, his back turned against the door to prevent anyone from walking in. Everything she'd repressed and bit back for weeks tumbled out of her in hurried, panicked wails. She hadn't wanted to burden her friends. Had wanted things to remain normal at school when everything at home was reeling. She was struggling to regain a foothold on her schoolwork. End of the year exams were approaching and she was running on fumes. By the end of it — long after the sobs had quieted to cried-out sniffles and they'd even shared a couple of shaky laughs — the sleeves and shoulders of Christian's shirt had been covered in snot and tears and they'd missed the entirety of third period. [break][break]

"I think... I do remember that," he spoke quietly, after allowing a brief silence to follow the end of her words. On Emie's other side, Adrian — who had finished wrapping her arm during the story and had stilled to listen as she spoke — swallowed thickly, then started picking again through his bag. "We've never lost someone so close to us as that and I can't imagine how hard that is. You're allowed to be a mess. Even after so long. That's a part of trauma." [break][break]

"The type of wound even we sort can never just heal." Adrian interjected quietly, holding out some supplies and a pair of gloves toward Christian before nodding briefly toward Emie's cheek. Christian blinked and, after giving her hand a quick squeeze, pulled himself forward. He slipped on the gloves, took the supplies, and settled more squarely in front of her. "It's okay to just let it hurt sometimes. I'm sorry it does. But thank you for letting us hurt with you, Emie. I mean that." [break][break]

He lifted a hand to the one still pressing the sterile gauze pad to her scuffed cheek. He lowered it gently and brushed the tears gathered beneath her eye with a knuckle. Then he cleared his throat to begin again as he dabbed the debris from her wound. "I won't tell Melissa if that's what you want." He didn't like the thought of hiding anything from her, even by omission, but he could respect Emie's wishes. Could understand why she felt the way she did. And he knew Melissa would, too, were she to find out. In that particular way, the step-sisters were sort of similar. It made Christian's chest pang with a remorseful ache. He wished he had known Emie too, seven years ago. He hoped there had been someone there to help her through the darker days as well. [break][break]

"But," he dipped his head, hand pausing and gaze flitting between her eyes. "I will be annoying and encourage you to tell her. Especially if you feel like this again, ever. I think she'll be much more empathetic than you think. And stronger than you expect. You guys are a lot alike, after all." His lip tugged at one corner, just barely. "Brave faces and big smiles, not wanting to upset anyone." [break][break]

When he was finished, Adrian held out a fresh pad, already taken from its package, and a couple of strips of already-snipped medical tape. Christian swapped it for the used supplies without looking, then secured the new bandage over the rash. He fell back a bit once he was done. "At least consider it." [break][break]

("Does she know about..." he added quietly, tapping at his own cheek to indicate her healing wound.)

[break]

no matter what or who you are [break]
there's a light in the darkness of everybody's life

Tag: Emerson Vanderbilt [break]
Give me a nudge for any changes or if I've made too many assumptions about Melissa! I decided she and Christian were in the same graduating class despite the one-year age gap. Just gonna assume their birthdays fall in those strange months where that just sorta happens. [break][break]

Also, the last. tiny paragraph that I put in parenthesis — I felt a little hesitant about adding that bit at the end, in case you wanted to wait until he sort of made that steer. Feel free to either ignore or embrace it in your reply!

[newclass=.quailfoot-text b]color:#3B3F88;font-size:8pt;font-family:Open Sans, sans serif;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Poppins][googlefont=Open Sans]

[Emerson Vanderbilt]

Salt, sweat, sugar on the asphalt
Our hearts littering the topsoil

cw: death, car crash and emotional trauma/ptsd

---

It would be accurate to say that Emie was recounting the single worst event of her young life. The fact that she could even talk about it even this calmly was a testament to the countless hours of therapy she had attended over the years that followed. It was always hard. It always made her think about Emmett and wonder what he would be like today. She missed her mother, desperately, but it wasn’t the same. Emmett was the other half of her soul. No matter how much they bickered or picked on each other, they completed each other. She’d learned how to enjoy life again, but there would always be a gaping hole, wondering who her twin brother would be now.

When Christian grasped her hand, she squeezed his lightly, grateful for the reminder that she wasn’t alone on the side of this highway. Tonight was not the same. Everyone here was alright and they would be making it home tonight.

The months directly following that had been bad. It was somewhat of a blur now, but everyone was affected, even if it was in different ways. Melissa and Liam had both tried their best to be there for Emie, to remind her that it was okay to fall apart time and time again. There were many nights Emie cried on Melissa’s shoulder after waking from a nightmare, and Melissa would give her a hug and a reassuring smile, telling her that it was okay and ”who needs sleep anyway, let's make popcorn and watch ‘Too Wong Foo’!”

There was one night that Emie could remember, one of rare times Melissa’s strong façade fell when she was at home. She’d been talking with her mom, and she said she felt better being there for everyone else. She’d told her mother that she just wanted to feel normal again, so she tried to be okay around her friends and at school. Angela had been worried about her, but Melissa assured her that she was fine, that she was working through her own feelings, too. Emie didn’t think she was supposed to overhear any of their conversation, but that was when she realized how badly they were all hurting. Emmett had been Melissa’s brother too.

Emie was probably much closer with both Melissa and Liam than she would have been if the accident never happened. Especially Melissa. Liam was only a year older, it was easy to see them in the same places they were now. But there were so many nights spent watching movies, talking, and distracting themselves. Out of tragedy came a stronger bond, something that Emie couldn’t imagine getting through the past seven years without.

It made sense that Christian would remember, even if he didn’t know the details. He confirmed, much like Melissa had done for her time and time again, that it was okay to be a mess, that it didn’t matter how long it had been. Emie nodded at the older Savino’s words. As quickly as she could heal physically, there was nothing that could completely heal the emotional trauma.

As Christian moved, taking supplies from his brother and beginning to clean off the angry patch of skin that was nearly healed already on her face, Emie moved her eyes between the brothers, careful to keep her head still. ”Thank you both.. For listening, and for not making me feel crazy or scared.” She looked back at Christian.

When he compared Emie to Melissa, it made a small smile appear on her face. ”She’s actually one of the strongest people that I know. And probably who I learned it from. And I will tell her. I just didn’t want her to worry.” It wasn’t that she didn’t want her family to know what happened tonight. She just wanted to be able to tell them when she was able to be calm, when she was able to assure them that she was fine. ”I think it might have upset her if I didn’t tell her I was okay right away.” It would also probably elicit a visit home. Emie knew that it still might, that her stepsister may want to check on her in person.

The next question was fair, but made the smile fade from Emie’s face. She shook her head slightly, and stared back down at the pieces of glass littered around them, watching them pick up and reflect the blue and red flashing lights for a moment. ”Only my dad knows.” She let out a breath slowly, and looked back up. ”Mom and Emmett were both.. They did other things. But mom didn’t want anyone to know, she was afraid of what would happen. I’ve been afraid.”

Emie fell silent for a few seconds, picking at a piece of debris next to her. Gifts ran in families. If his brother was Gifted, was Christian? ”Can you do it too?” She wasn’t quite sure that she should be asking, but her curiosity was something she could focus on.

---

Christian Savino
Let me know for changes
I love the take you have on Melissa TBH, and I had also figured they’d be in the same year just at that weird gap.

[Christian Savino]

[nospaces]

IN THE VELVET DARKNESS

of the blackest night, burning bright, there's a guiding star

[break]

[attr="class","quailfoot-text"]Christian's mouth twitched with a subtle smile when she thanked him, her words nipping languidly at that deeply ingrained Savino part of him that drove him — as well as his brothers, his parents, his cousins and... well, damn near everyone in his family — to do what they did. It was what made the job worth it, even when instances like these were less frequent and scattered between tougher, more stressful ones. And his smile tugged even fuller when she spoke, with such clear fondness and admiration, of Melissa, then assured him that she would tell her. He nodded approvingly.[break][break]

His question about her Gift, and Melissa's knowledge of it, visibly pulled at her easy countenance. She shook her head and dropped her eyes. Christian was careful to keep his own face fixed; only blinking patiently when she lifted her gaze back to him and answered that her father was the only (living) relative of hers that knew. He nodded, something inside him giving a small clench as she admitted she was afraid of people knowing and started picking at the glass next to her, so obviously quieted by the conversation. [break][break]

It wasn't unwise to be afraid. Christian knew that. He knew there were people out there who tracked down and killed people like Emie and his loved ones just because of their abilities. But he'd grown up in a family that celebrated their gifts openly with one another. Cherished their abilities, found pride in them, and held themselves accountable to do good with them. They'd never had to hide anything, at least with one another. And even if Christian had no ability to boast of himself, he knew what that clear and zealous acceptance meant to everyone else. He had longed to share in it for most of his life. But he'd rather be as he was, powerless, than have a Gift and feel he was unable to share it with anyone. [break][break]

He swallowed, prepared to make some of his feelings known — perhaps even let her know that his family would always be a safe place available to her, should she want to share in that openness — but then she looked back at him and asked if he could "do the same" as her and Adrian. [break][break]

He was unable to keep his face completely fixed, then. It took him slightly off-guard, like an unexpected slap. His mouth parted, his brow leaped, and for a moment he just stared at her silently. Floundering as something — an old and familiar ache — twisted in his chest. In his periphery, he saw Adrian's face angle slightly more toward him and expected to find smugness when he let his gaze flit to him; expected (perhaps a bit unfairly — they weren't kids anymore, after all) a vicious and derisive mock. But his brother only quirked a brow, cool and calm, and Christian let his face smooth into something sober and reassuring again. He looked back at Emie and buried that knee-jerk defensiveness; silently reprimanding himself at all for letting it lance through him as readily as it did. [break][break]

"No," Christian answered quietly, a little too conscious that it was painstakingly belated. His eyelids fluttered and he tucked his mouth apologetically, somehow anticipating Emie's disappointment. As if the admittance meant he couldn't empathize with her completely. "But everyone else in my family has similar abilities."[break][break]

"Adopted," Adrian muttered quietly, aside, voice lacking any true barb (that would have undoubtedly been there ten years ago). Christian rolled his eyes and fixed Emie with a suffering look that clearly said — 'see what I have to put up with'? But then his brother was suddenly finished packing up his med bag. Adrian stood and Christian lifted his gaze to him, dipping his head and feeling an irrepressible swell of pride as the pair exchanged looks. He could see the same regard echoed back in his brother's gaze and Adrian dropped a fist, which Christian didn't hesitate bumping with his own. As much as they teased, and as brutal and merciless as it had been in their childhood, there was an undeniable sort of respect that came with witnessing any of their family do well in their jobs. It wasn't infrequent that a pair of Savinos ended up working alongside one another and it never failed to leave a warm, pleasant aftertaste when the task was finished. [break][break]

Adrian swiveled to offer the same fist toward Emie, a smile threading at one corner of his mouth. "It was nice to meet you, Emie. I'm gonna go double-check on your friends but perhaps we'll see each other again." His smile curled deeper and he quirked a brow. "Under better circumstances, of course. Tell Melissa that I said 'hey'," his eyebrow threatened to lift and his mouth tilted with the hint of something vaguely sly. "When you see her next." He slipped away and Christian — stifling a knowing scoff— waited a beat before he shifted his weight and looked up at her again.[break][break]

"I've gotta take some pictures... before that super charming Officer Shepherd starts really stamping his feet. Are you okay for now?" He lifted his brow imploringly, searching her face, hoping she knew — and trying to make it clear with just a look — that she could ask him to stay. "I'm sure your friends are very eager to make sure you're okay. Think they can come over or that you're up to joining them?" He wasn't about to leave her alone so, if the answer was no, he was prepared to seat himself again beside her and wait as long as she needed (Derek could take a hike). "And I'm sure someone has already made a call or two but, if any of you need a ride home, I would be happy to take you."

[break]

no matter what or who you are [break]
there's a light in the darkness of everybody's life

Tag: Emerson Vanderbilt [break]
Give me a nudge for any changes!

[newclass=.quailfoot-text b]color:#3B3F88;font-size:8pt;font-family:Open Sans, sans serif;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Poppins][googlefont=Open Sans]

[Emerson Vanderbilt]

Salt, sweat, sugar on the asphalt
Our hearts littering the topsoil

---

The fear of being discovered had been prevalent throughout Emie’s life. Her mother was adamant that they keep their gifts a secret, that they don’t let anyone know what they could do. There had been so many times she’d had near misses, times when she thought she’d been discovered, but she found a way to spin the truth. Now, Christian and his brother knew. And they weren’t making her feel like some kind of freak. They were like her.

So she thought. When she asked him if he was the same, she didn’t miss the brief change in his expression before he schooled his face into something less wounded. He said no, explained the rest of his family was like her though. Emie could feel for him. While he wasn’t the same as her, he was, in a way. He was different from everyone in his family. Being different from everyone else in his family had to feel lonely for him. She knew that it did for her.

“Sorry. That must be hard, being different from everyone.” She bit the inside corner of her lip as she thought about it. As much as she felt isolated and alone at times, her siblings didn’t know that she was different from them. They couldn’t poke fun or tease her for it. When Christian’s brother joked about adoption it seemed light hearted now, but she wondered if it had always been that way. How many times growing up he had suffered comments that were more malignant in nature? While he wasn’t exactly the same as her, she realized he’d probably be able to identify with most of the issues she had struggled with just as easily.

If they’d had issues growing up, you wouldn’t know by looking at the pair of Savinos now. The way they interacted, there was a clear mutual admiration or respect between them. It made Emie feel better, just watching them. They were different, but it didn’t matter. They were family, brothers.

Emie bumped her fist against Adrian’s when he held his out to her as well. She nodded, and let a small smile pull at her mouth when he said to tell Melissa ‘hey’. “I’ll be sure to tell her.” It didn’t take much insight to catch the connotation there, and it was no surprise. Just like his younger brother, Adrian was attractive and Melissa had always been a flirt.

Once his brother walked away to check on Sara and Tyler, Christian explained that he needed to do a few more things, mentioning the other officer who was handling everything else. As much as she wanted to forget that the world existed in the moment, she knew that he was right. Emie gave a small nod. “I think I’m okay. I’m still shaken, but you helped me through the worst of it. I probably should tell them I’m okay before they worry too much.” She pushed herself to her feet, brushing herself off to make sure she didn’t have any glass or debris clinging to her skin or clothes.

“Actually, I would really appreciate it if you could drive me home. I don’t think I could trust anyone else driving right now..” The only other person she could think of that she would willingly get in a car with at the moment would be her father, but she didn’t want to call him to come get her from the scene of a crash, not if she could help it.

Christian Savino
Let me know for changes.

[Christian Savino]

[nospaces]

IN THE VELVET DARKNESS

of the blackest night, burning bright, there's a guiding star

[break]

[attr="class","quailfoot-text"]

Christian nodded as Emie answered that she was okay to join her friends, feeling somehow grateful that she admitted to still being shaken. It made the reassurance sound more honest and not like a front; made him fairly confident she'd tell him if she wasn't steady enough for him to leave. He watched her brush off the front of her clothes and then stood as well, quirking his mouth easily when she accepted his offer of taking her home. "Then I'll wait for you at my car after I'm done here. No rush though, if I finish first. Just when you're ready." He started them in a walk toward her waiting friends, bumping his arm against her shoulder lightly when they neared and his gaze pulled to where Derek was watching a little ways away. He shot her another quick look over his shoulder as he veered toward him, mouth curling fleetingly while he winked. "Give me a shout if you need anything." [break][break]

When he turned back, Derek quirked a brow and tipped his head and Christian stifled a roll of his eyes. Though the other officer didn't exactly have his fists planted on his hips, nor was he tapping a foot impatiently, he still very much radiated the energy of a perturbed mother preparing to chastise. Regardless, Christian stepped to him — almost certain that, despite his efforts, he radiated the matching energy of a petulant child (readying himself to scoff and look anywhere but his mother's expectant face). [break][break]

The officer caught him up to speed, letting him know that the driver hadn't been drunk — making sure to sound annoyed that he'd been the one to administer breathalyzers — and that most everything else had been taken care of. A truck was on its way to pick up the vehicle and the "kids" he'd been "saddled with" had called their parents. Christian nodded along impassively, feeling a resigned annoyance nip at his chest each time his gaze dropped (of its own accord) to Derek's lips. Sometimes, it really sucked that the guy was nearly as cute as he was infuriating. Things would be so much easier if he could just be irritated. [break][break]

Catching him in one of these glances, Derek paused his ranting to sigh and drop his head just a bit to forcibly meet Christian's wandering gaze; face smoothing a moment later into something far more self-satisfied than was warranted. "Easily distracted, Chrissy? Eyes are up here." Christian's mouth tucked and he had to resist the urge to run a hand over his face when Derek chuckled knowingly and — suddenly sounding much more amenable — asked if his shift was ending. [break][break]

"Yes, it is. But I'll be taking Emie home and," he tried to press his tongue into his cheek, he really did, but it was no use. His face gave a tiny scrunch. "I don't really wanna follow up one wreck with another. Not if it can be avoided." [break][break]

'Tsk'ing, Derek waved him off to take the pictures and Christian managed to turn away before letting his lips pull amusedly. As he circled the car, alternating between snapping photos and filling out notes on a diagram, he cast the occasional glance in the direction of Emie and her friends; trying to remain conscious of the mood of the group. The paramedics had left them, which was a good sign, and were packing up their ambulance to leave. Another vehicle had arrived on the scene, presumably parents or guardians of one of Emie's friends — very likely whoever the upturned Chevy (and its insurance) belonged to — and things became loud and lively with renewed reassurances. [break][break]

When he was finished, Christian signed off and delivered everything to Derek — suddenly quite happy he'd decided to be the officer in charge and letting him know so with only a slight grin — and stepped to his own vehicle to return his supplies. He let dispatch know of his plans, asked to be shown going off-duty, and then propped himself against his passenger side door to patiently wait; busying himself with knocking clear the glass and gravel that'd lodged itself into the treads of his shoes.

[break]

no matter what or who you are [break]
there's a light in the darkness of everybody's life

Tag: Emerson Vanderbilt [break]
Give me a nudge for any changes! [break]
EDIT: Why do I keep thinking her friends are younger than they are?? [break]
Let's just forgive all my mentions of parents and guardians,[break]I'm too lazy to edit rn.

[newclass=.quailfoot-text b]color:#3B3F88;font-size:8pt;font-family:Open Sans, sans serif;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Poppins][googlefont=Open Sans]

[Emerson Vanderbilt]

Salt, sweat, sugar on the asphalt
Our hearts littering the topsoil

---

Emie looked toward Tyler and Sara as they started walking that direction. It seemed like they were both okay, at least okay enough, all things considered. Sara hardly had a scratch on her, but next to Emie she was definitely the most upset. It made sense. She was going to have to explain what happened to her parents, probably to the insurance company, and she’d likely already had to explain it to the other officer. “Thank you.” She nodded when he said to give a shout if she needed him, then walked over to the waiting Sara and Tyler as he went to the other officer.

“Hey..” Emie called out as she approached her friends. Sara spun around instantly and threw her arms around Emie, crushing her in an embrace that made Emie wince. She was glad she was already healing, but even so, sore muscles protested against the pressure.

“Easy, Sara.” Tyler coaxed, rubbing Sara’s back encouragingly. “Let her breathe.”

“Oh, sorry!” Sara let up, looking Emie up and down, noting the bandages and the blood on her shirt. “Oh no, I didn’t hurt you more did I?” Concern flooded Sara’s face. “All of this is my fault. Emie, I'm so sorry.”

“It’s okay, Sara. I’m okay. Promise. It looks worse than it actually is. I was just scared.” Emie reassured Sara, exchanging a look with Tyler. While the accident had mostly sobered their friend, she was still clearly intoxicated and having trouble regulating her emotions and reactions. “What did the officer say?” Emie changed the subject, hoping to avoid answering any direct questions about her injuries — or what would end up being a lack thereof by morning.

“He asked what happened and made me take a breathalyzer. Just had to prove I hadn't been drinking.” Tyler answered with a small shrug, as a dark sedan pulled up, parking off to the side. Sara had a look of recognition on her face. “That’s my dad. He said he can bring everyone home if you guys don’t already have someone coming.” Sara offered as her dad walked toward them. “That would be great.” Tyler gave a reassuring smile to Sara, as it was clear she was still feeling upset and guilty.

“Thanks, but I’ve actually got someone taking me already.” Emie nodded in the direction Christian had gone. “He’s friends with my sister and said he’d drive me home.”

She didn’t bother mentioning that there was no way she’d get in the car with someone she didn’t know at this point. It wasn’t worth going into. Sara’s dad hugged her, promised that he wasn’t mad, he was just glad everyone was alright and it hadn't been any worse. Then he walked over to talk to the officer that Tyler pointed out as the one who the two of them had been talking to, presumably to find out what else he needed to take care of. Emie assured Sara and Tyler that she was fine, and they all promised to check on each other over the next couple days.

After another of Sara’s crushing hugs and following ‘opps’, Emie crossed over to where Christian was waiting by his patrol car. “Alright, they both said they’re okay. So everyone is okay.” It was more for her own benefit, saying the words out loud to convince herself that they were true. “I thought Sara was going to crush me hugging me though.” She gave a shaky smile, trying her best to keep from teetering back towards panic. She was okay, they were okay, everyone was going home tonight.

Christian Savino
Let me know for changes