After all, we're family now. Cai turned his attention to the floor, to the fraying fabric of the rug in their room. He'd always been a family man; how could he not have been? Remus was all he'd ever had, his brother, his guardian, his best teacher and his closest friend. Winnie had been close to them both, and Cai would have laid down his life for her in a heartbeat. They were the only family he'd ever known, his own parents just feather-like memories, too light and fragile to grasp. They'd been with him every day, up until a year ago, when they were both stripped away. Cai looked back at Braxxon, at Amalia, at the children who had so selflessly offered to guide him. He thought of their grandma, of the love he saw in her eyes, of the love he now saw in the boy before him. Red rushed to his cheeks and Cai let out a breath. "Thank you, Braxxon," he murmured. "That means more than I can express."
Braxxon woke his sister less than gracefully, and Cai could only smile warmly at their exchange, at Amalia's irritation and Braxxon's apathy. The girl ran off quickly, leaving the men to get ready and head off. Cai nodded and grabbed his things. He looked over the room, making sure it looked presentable enough. This was the last place he'd stay as an ignorant man. He'd get his answers today, as much as he wanted them, as much as he didn't.
They made their way down to the dock and Cai paid for the final trip over another body of water, at least until he made it back. The boat was not to come for several minutes, so he looked over Amalia and Braxxon, thinking. What would happen after this? He wanted to stay with them, to invite them to his home in Omashu, the home that had grown too quiet and too lonely. He could find them jobs in the city easily, and he could pave good lives for them. Would they join him back home? He couldn't know, and he felt it too early to ask. There was a huge obstacle in the way, and as he glanced up at the volcano just across the water, he felt a lump in his throat. The boat was pulling into the dock now, awaiting their final chapter. He looked at the kids again. "Are you ready?" he asked them. Getting up, Cai stepped onto the boat, his hydrophobia forgotten because of the fears he had for his brother.
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