Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This morning started differently. Usually, she got some porridge tossed in through the small flap in the door, from some face- and voiceless person. Today, the door flew open and a flood of light entered her hardly lighted cell. A Duvos officer entered her cell and looked down at her. She sat on the bare floor, wearing prisoner's clothes, drawing in the dust on the floor like she did every day. Her frame was small, almost fragile. She was very skinny, the muscles from former times long gone. Her skin was pale, and her long white hair was dull. She looked at the soldier with dark circles under her eyes. She was only a shadow of the former alliance knight she had been what felt a lifetime ago. She was able to keep up fights against five men without a hazzle. She always looked tiny. She had always been tiny, even back then, but back than she was a hazard. Silent, often underestimated, but deadly. Today, the only thing that gave away that she was not a simple prisoner was the sparkle in her violet eyes. This sparkle still was there, small but there, despite the years she had spent in this cell. And other cells. Always high security, hardly ever contact with other inmates. One of her mentors once said, you can recognize a real opponent when you look them deep into their eyes. Maybe he was right.
“Prisoner, follow me. There is news about your status”
He stood there, waiting for her reaction. She needed a few moments to realize that this was happening. That it was not only another hallucination. Her little spark of hope made its presence known.
Was it possible…?

Ever since she was caught in the battle of Doss, where she failed her order, she had hoped. Hoped to return home. To see her family again. Doss had been a mess. Duvos had managed to lure a monster from the peripheries as big as a Highwind-highrise building into the town. If it was intentional or by accident she didn’t know. Beforehand, Alliance spies had caught some urgent Duvos messages from Doss, which is why she was there when it all happened. She had left her family to fullfil her orders, to keep the Alliance safe. Until today she regretted ever agreeing to the plea of the Alliance for her to help out despite her having a new baby. But she was a high rank Knight, most would say the Best the Alliance ever had. Her order was to reveal what Duvos had planned, and of course to protect the town and its citizens. She was not able to fulfill this. None of it. Nobody had thought of the possibility of a building-sized enraged monster attacking the town. She was unprepared for this kind of threat. She was alone and outnumbered. When the attack started, she tried her best to evacuate as many civilians as she could, but it was too late, the attack was too fast and too brutal. She could remember being hit by something on the head while searching the destroyed buildings for the survivors she could hear, then everything went black. When she awoke again, she was cuffed and in the power of the enemy. They questioned her. Belittled her. Kept her prisoner. Tried to break her spirit. Told her lies and lies about her loved ones. For years and years. Still they never managed to erase the little spark of hope from her heart.

She never dared to keep her hopes too high. The hopes to return to her husband and her son faded over the years until it was only this little spark in her heart remained. The one that threatened to turn into a wildfire if she would allow it to. Her son must be a young man by now. She missed so much of his life, it made her physically hurt to think about. And her husband.. would he have moved on? To another woman? He surely was handsome and a really good guy. Tall, strong, funny and with a strong sense of justice. Maybe a bit stubborn, but to her he was her soulmate, the one person who could bring her joy with one smile. In whose presence she never had to pretend to be someone else, she could just be. Did he still think of her? Like she thought of him? This was one of her worst fears. That he might have moved on, forgotten her. He deserved to be happy, but she simply couldn't bear the thought.

Or was this about her daughter?
When she headed towards Doss all those years ago, little did she know that she was pregnant again, just a few months after she had given birth to her son. She only discovered it after being arrested by Duvos. She was forced to give birth in prison, and they almost immediately took her child from her and refused to tell her anything about her. She had named her Elaine. This whole thing almost destroyed her, and she did not often dare to think about her little girl growing up without her loving parents in this hostile state. Her son at least was at home and had his Dad who loved him to pieces, but her?

It was almost physical pain to suppress those thoughts. All in all, she had no idea what the reason for the break in her routine was. So she best kept her hope low and braced herself for whatever bad there might come ahead. She got up, got her handcuffs put on and followed the soldier out of her cell, her heart beating fast and almost violently against her ribs.
She would soon find out what this all was about.

Chapter Text

Logan opened his eyes only to realize that it was way ahead before dawn. The light outside the window still was dim and he could hardly see his surroundings. In his left arm, he held Lucy tight to his chest. Even when deep asleep he hardly could let her go. Perhaps he was afraid she could have vanished into thin air when he woke up. It still felt too good, too surreal to be true. Especially in those fleeting moments between sleep and wake he still had the lingering feeling that the peace he fought so hard for was fragile and could shatter every moment. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face, causing her to sigh deep in sleep. Logan smiled.

It was not even two years ago that he had hit rock bottom. He was a wanted man, lonely, running from hideout to hideout, struggling with everything essential, every meal. Desperately trying to solve the riddle his Pa gave him with his last breath. All while holding himself accountable for the fate his father had suffered. Only his best friend Haru stood by his side no matter what. The rest of the people he called friends or even considered family had turned their backs on him, put a bounty on his head and wanted posters out there in the world. Then one day Andy appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the desert, even more alone than himself. The boy needed someone to care for him, a role Logan easily took over. Somehow it made his own personal struggles easier, even though he was a mouth more to feed. Logan would have rather cut his hand off than let the boy go hungry. Then Grace appeared and showed him that the last mission his Pa had sent him on was a very real threat and not just something he made up in his delirium. From there on his feeling of being lost turned into a determination to save his town and kick the asses of the people who were responsible for the circumstances leading to the death of his Pa and him being cast out. Still it was not clear who exactly was behind this whole scheme.

And then the builder joined his little gang, and turned everything upside down like a sandstorm. When Grace first brought her name up, Logan was not sure he could trust her. Lucy - a newbie from Highwind. He had observed her from afar, she did seem to do an amazing job as a builder. And if he was totally honest, she sparked some interest in him. He thought she was beautiful the first time he saw her. But was she trustworthy? And if so, would she believe him? How could he explain this mess? And even if he managed this, wouldn’t he expose her to unknown dangers, standing up against Duvos? That he was immediately charmed by her did not help his case, either. He was not the best when it came to talking, if he was honest. And his reputation was intimidating, but he would look for more than just a fling, it was completely dismantled. He was a wanted criminal after all.

Still, Grace kept pushing him. Even doing a background check on her. Due to the fact that they indeed needed a builder, he gave in. But he insisted on testing her. If they wanted to challenge Duvos and had to drag her in, she needed to be able to look after herself. And boy, she definitely could. Their first fight was like a dangerous dance, flooding him with adrenaline. He almost had his ass served to him on a silver plate. But he was surprised that she, like he himself, only aimed to take him out rather to really hurt him. He could feel her drawing back if the sharp blades of her daggers got dangerously close to sensitive areas of his body. Instead she used the handles of her dagger to land blows, seemingly trying to knock him out. He didn’t suspect that, as she had no reason to spare him. As he had observed her lately, he got to know that she was running commissions like an enraged rockyenaroll, so he concluded the bounty on his head would make her eager to turn him in no matter how. He was prepared that he would seriously have to defend himself. But here she was, holding back if the next blow had the potential to seriously hurt or kill him. Still, she did not go easy on him, just careful to cause no unnecessary damage.

When Grace broke them apart, her face was showing so much surprise, her eyes went wide, her mouth slightly agape. Her hair fell in her face, sweat on her forehead, her breathing as heavy as his own. Logan still could remember this sight as if it was yesterday. It struck him like lightning. He felt a fuzzy feeling in his stomach. So he tried to explain his side, sometimes struggling to find the correct words. Her eyes never left his during his stuttered explanation of how he became the ‘bad guy’ to save Sandrock. Feeling her gaze on him did not make it easier. Logan had the tendency to be a bit socially awkward, not always able to read the room. But Lucy somehow totally ignored this. She believed him when he laid out the story of how and why he became an outlaw. She even told him she fell in love with him at first sight and winked. Maybe she only wanted to break the tension, but Logan was completely caught off guard and did not know how to act on this. He was thankful his mask did hide most of his reddened cheeks.

She believed in him, and saw more in him than he did himself. She trusted him and this pushed him to be better, if it only was just to justify her trust in him. And just like this they were able to solve his outlaw situation, step by step. It was not always easy, but they had each other's backs, and slowly everything fell into place. And Logan started to fall for her. He worried that she was far out of reach for him because he had nothing to offer, not even a reputation anymore. After they revealed the true villains to the town everything revealed itself at an incredible speed. His gang, and his girlfriend, stood firm by his side.
After they arrested Miguel and Pen once, they thought, they won. Logan was awaiting his trial when all hell broke loose. While he sat in his hideout trying to process what happened, Sandrock fell and was taken over. It was his longing for Lucy that drove him back, despite his shame. He arrived just in time to save her and his town from Duvos’ occupation. With a little help of his mole friends.

After the fight for Sandrock was over and won, she simply stayed there by his side. Not only in fighting enemies and monsters, but also against the daily struggles his new life as a parent and the aftermath of being a bandit brought with them. And there were plenty. She never judged him for what he did, always listened, showing him unconditional support. His heart clenched when he thought how big her impact on his life was. He had been very lonely on the run, the loss of his Pa fresh and present. He also felt somewhat lonely coming back to Sandrock. People he had considered family made him a wanted man within the blink of an eye, and then welcomed him back with open arms. His feelings were so confusing. But then, there she was. His rock through all the emotional storms.

Before he became a bandit, he often got side glances from ladies. Sometimes subtle, sometimes not subtle at all. He usually didn’t care. He has been and still was an impressive appearance. His height, his broad shoulders and muscular body. His white hair and, as he was told, his penetrating gaze. He knew, he was often considered as quite the catch. Still he was no one to mess around. First because his Pa has taught him not to break any hearts if avoidable. And second because he often did not get the hint that a lady was flirting with him until someone told him later. Maybe he had been a bit socially awkward even before he had spent this much time out in the desert with hardly anyone around.

Back before he spent endless time alone in the desert, his old self would not have dared to make a move on someone who seemed so perfect like the builder. That he knew she already had rejected half the town did not help either. The first few remarks from her after he roped her into his banditery-stunt while he still was on the run he simply brushed aside. She could not have serious interest in a wanted criminal like him, she was just messing with him, right? There was literally nothing he could offer, and his future was uncertain.

After kicking Duvos out of town, helping him clear his name, taking care of Andy when he couldn’t, and then throwing herself in to safe him, from poison and a fury fucking tunnelworm… He was so flashed, that he could not contain his feelings any longer. Logan's heart filled with warmth as he re-lived his memories while feeling her right at his side. He truly was happy.

After the turbulent start of their relationship, he worshiped their normal day-to-day life. She was more than he could have dreamed of. She was beautiful, strong, caring and absolutely skilled in building and fighting. She accepted him and his adopted son Andy with all their rough edges. Oh, how she beat the shit out of him that first time they fought in the old hideout. He chuckled.

The only sting in his heart was that his Pa never met her. He was sure his Pa would have adored her almost like he himself did. But somehow it still felt like a missing piece of a puzzle, lost in time.
Lucy stirred against his side, she soon would wake up. He loved the quiet moments they got together before Andy had to get ready for school and before their duties as builder and monster hunter were calling. Those moments were like little bubbles of peace for only the two of them within their busy lives. The streets of Sandrock were quieter nowadays, yet buzzing with the hum of everyday life. He started to feel like he belonged here.
He got up almost making no sound, one of the perks of being used to sneak up on monsters, making his way downstairs to brew some coffee, the scent of his strong brew soon filling the house. Little did he know that the world beyond those walls still held threats. And people, whose fate would soon collide with theirs.