Healing Hands of Time

Thatch nodded, then looked around. "So... is that it, then? Are we done? Can we all go back to living our normal lives?"

Door smiled to herself. "That sounds quite nice, actually..."

"Thank you again," Tremor said to the tall Zora. "I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't helped."

Aqua smiled, shaking her head.

Alex half-grinned, "That's just like Aqua. I think she's talked enough for ten years."

The Zora nodded.


"I can't thank you enough for your help, though." Alex said sincerely.

Again, she nodded with half a smile.

Door glanced around at everyone, feeling lighter than she had in... weeks. She was smiling, hugely, and she just didn't know why.

Alex sighed, "I'm not sure where to go from here." he half-way laughed.

"How about we go home," Door said, smiling softly, "and figure out where to go from there?"

Thatch nodded. "No complaints here. Care to join us, Vanderpuye?" He grinned, avoiding Door's nearly paplable death glance.

"Why can't you call him 'Alex', like the rest of us?" she muttered to him, not upset, but moderately annoyed.

"Because I haven't talked to him that much yet," he answered with a hint of a grin still on his face.

Alex smiled, "It doesn't bother me. As long as I get to keep my teeth."

"Good," he replied, nodding once. "Off we go, then!" He took a few steps away, then stopped as Tremor tapped him on the shoulder. "Yeah?"

Trem pointed with his chin at the colorful bits of stained glass that scattered the ground. "Who's fixing that?"

Alex felt his stomach turn, as he was reminded once again what he'd done.

"That would probably be me..."

"I'll help," Thatch intervened. "It'd be easier in the long run."

Door forwned. "Don't cut yourself."

Unable to keep from teasing, Thatch grinned. "I'm sure if anything happens to Mr. Vanderpyue, you'll kiss it better."

She flushed, smiling and biting her lip to keep from hauling off and smacking him one.

Alex was going to thank Thatch, but his comment caused him to flush. He laughd nervously, clearing his throat. "Quite."

The twins snickered.

"To work, then."

Door watched him head for the window, and glanced at the twins. "Should we meet them at home?"

"I'm sure they won't kill each other," Trem put in, smiling in a Tremor-ish way.

Aislin looked doubtful, but she shrugged. "Let's go, then."

Door nodded, following Trem, glancing over her shoulder.

----------

Thatch stood with his hands in his pockets, staring down at the broken glass. "Hm..."

Alex nodded, "Hm, indeed."

He reached for a large piece of glass.

----------

"Come along," the twins said, each grabbing her by an arm, "They won't kill each other...hopefully."

"This is going to be... fun," Thatch laughed, taking a few more pieces up.

-----------

Door blanched. "B-but..."

"No buts, missy!" Aislin laughed, "Besides, my guy could beat up yours, so it's all good."

-------

Alex sighed, getting the larger pieces up first, "I suppose."

"Gee, thanks," Door muttered.
-----------
Thatch nodded, frowning at the glass scattered everywhere. "So," he said after an awkward silence. "I want to hear your side of the story. If you don't mind."

Alex sighed, "Well, this all started back when that cutthroat uhm...kidnapped me, as embarrassing as that is. Door opened a window beneath him that went straight to his pit of Dodongos...and after that well...he was sore. Figuratively and literally."

Thatch raised an eyebrow. "Really? this is news to me. Go on..."

"So he wanted revenge. That girl wasn't his sister, as I found out today. It was a woman he made an agreement with. By marrying me, she'd get her place back in society, and he would get his revenge by watching Door and I suffer. I would have told her, but...they threatened to kill her if I said a word to anyone, and so, to save her, I had to let her go..."

Alex sighed, "I never meant to hurt her. I was only trying to protect her..."

Thatch nodded, silent until Alex had finished. "Yeah... I can understand that.... She really took it badly, you know..."

Alex picked up another shard, "Yes, I know...I couldn't bear to see her like that, but...at the same time, what could I do? I really meant what I said when I told you I'd done everything I could..."

He gathered more glass, "I was shocked when she struck me, but I felt as though I deserved it for putting her through all this."

"You don't know the half of it," Thatch said truthfully, trying to fit two pieces together. "And... I don't mean this in a mean way, but..."

"But...what?"

Alex blinked at the younger boy, sensing his hesitation.

"She was a wreck. She...." He paused, clearing his throat as his voice threatened to crack. "She took it badly. And she... she jumped off the Gerudo Valley Bridge..."