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1)
Gem was tired. It had been a long day, a long few days really, but that was fine. Everything was fine. She was on the Tango Tek, she was in space. Fwhip wasn't here. He couldn't hurt her. Etho couldn't hurt her. Cleo was here and they weren't leaving.
Her feet brought her to Impulse's room and in that moment of tiredness she remembered the times she'd found herself in her older brother's room, asking for help or just wanting her company.
Impulse reminded her so much of her brother before they joined Etho's ship, back when it was just them, back before the Ocean claimed her, back before he'd stabbed her.
He wasn't Fwhip, but maybe, just maybe one day they could be family. Cleo and Joe were siblings without blood between them. Maybe things could be the same with them.
She stepped into Impulse's room and flopped onto his bed. It was a comfortable bed, just like hers was, though most the beds on the ship were rather comfortable.
She hadn't realized Impulse had actually chosen to sleep in his room tonight.
"Gem? What are you doing?"
"Sleeping."
"In my room?"
"Mhm. Can't sleep in mine, your bed's comfy. Mine now, Fwhip."
She didn't notice the name that slipped out of her lips, didn't notice the way Impulse tilted his head. All she noticed was the hand that was carding through her hair, like Fwhip's had when they were younger like Cleo's had when Gem woke up from her near death, the way she'd carded their fingers though her hair begging her to wake, to be alright.
"Is your bed not comfortable enough?"
"It's comfy."
"Then why aren't you in your own bed?"
"Cause I don't want to."
"You want to steal mine?"
"Yeah. It's safe."
"Is it?"
"Mhm."
Impulse gently moved her so that her head was on a pillow and draped a blanket over her before he returned to carding his fingers through her hair silently.
"Impulse?"
"Yes, Gem?"
"Don't leave. Please."
"I won't, I'm right here Gem, always."
Always.
Gem's eyes drifted shut and she fell asleep with the knowledge that her brother would be there when she woke.
2)
Impulse was in the vents talking to Tango when he heard Cleo shouting for him.
"Impulse! Get your ass out of whatever hole in the wall or vent you've crawled into!"
What had he done to piss her off this much?
He hadn't pranked them, hadn't messed with anything he could think of that would have Cleo shouting for him that loudly.
He left the vents then, apologizing to Tango for cutting their conversation before he dropped a few feet away from Cleo. Cleo who was stood in front of Gem's room.
"Cleo?"
"I need you to go in there and help Gem."
"Why can't you?"
"Because I'll only make it worse. She's having a flashback and while I could help, it'll take less time and be a lot less painful if you go in."
"Cleo- I don't know how to help her."
Skizz had always been better with people than he was, while he was better with machines. What good could he do when Cleo couldn't help Gem?
"Sure you do. Go on in."
Cleo pushed at his shoulders, guiding him into the room as Tango opened the door. Cleo stepped back when Impulse stepped in, as if they were trying to stay out of sight.
When Impulse found Gem she was curled into her bed, covered in blankets. She had on a turtle neck sweater, gloves. Too many layers for the temperature she usually kept her room in.
"Gem? Aren't you overheating with all those layers?"
Gem was silent.
Impulse made his way over to her and gently removed one of the blankets.
"Fwhip-"
"He's not here, Gem, he's not here."
Gem's eyes met his.
"Impulse?"
"Hey Gem, do you have a tank top under that turtle neck? It's far too warm for you to be wearing that many layers."
"My scales."
"What about them, Gem?"
"Fwhip will see them."
Fwhip.
Her brother.
Impulse took a deep breath and pushed away any anger he felt towards Gem's brother for the moment, he didn't need that right now, he just needed her to be okay and not die of heat stroke in her own room.
"No he won't, I'll make sure of it."
Silence.
Then-
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure, Gem. He won't see them, he won't do anything. I'm here, I'll keep you safe. I won't let him hurt you. You're safe, Gem."
"You'll stay?"
"Always."
He watched Gem, the woman who had in a few years gone from a stranger to a sister, as she nodded. He turned around and closed his eyes as she took off her turtle neck, smiled as she laughed and assured him she did have a shirt under it and he was safe to look. He grabbed a book from her shelf as he made his way to her bed and sat near where she settled, reading a book out to her.
He wouldn't leave her, wouldn't let her down or betray her as her brother had.
He'd be the brother she deserved.
3)
Gem was pissed, she was upset and she wasn't going to leave the loading dock until Lizzie and Joel returned.
Lizzie and Joel who had so quickly become family, Lizzie and Joel who had treated Gem like a younger sister, Lizzie and Joel who had adored and cared for Gem.
Lizzie and Joel who had just left.
Lizzie and Joel who didn't want to fight, who wanted peace in their immortality if they could have it, who left so they could help those who were affected by the war they'd just fought.
Lizzie and Joel who said they'd visit.
Yet here Gem was. A week later, still in the loading dock waiting for them to come home.
They weren't going to come home. Tango wasn't their home anymore.
Yet she couldn't help but hope, but sit here in this loading dock and wait for them to come home.
She's not sure when Impulse appeared. She knows how, there's only three people that Tango listens to better than her and that's Impulse, Skizz and Cleo. Impulse would have only had to ask for the door she'd ask him to lock to be opened and it'd be done.
Impulse sat next to Gem silently and for some time that's all they were. Two siblings sat together silently, waiting for people they knew wouldn't return home.
In the end it was Gem that spoke first.
"Why do people keep leaving?"
Impulse was silent for a moment.
"Because even immortality doesn't promise they'll stay."
"I'm sick of losing my family. I can't- I can't keep losing them to death or time or-"
Impulse pulled Gem closer, his arm holding her close and tight, grounding, reminding her he was there, that she wasn't alone. She wondered how long it would be until he left too.
"I'm here, you won't lose me Gem."
"You can't promise that."
Please don't promise that. She can't deal with the heart ache when he breaks his promise.
"I can and I will. I'll be here, Gem, always."
"Always?"
"Always."
For a moment she curled against him, let him hold her, pushed away the bit of her that was sure he'd leave one day.
Let herself hope for a moment that she wouldn't lose another brother.
4)
The City was an interesting place to be and gave her an interesting role to play in Persephone. Impulse made the rings she and Pearl wore and she knew it before the words even left Cleo's lips, knew it at how the rings shined.
Impulse had been dramatic when he saw her wearing the ring he'd made, going on and on about how his little sister had grown up too soon, about how his little sister was getting married. The only thing that stopped him was a bullet to the brain.
(She couldn't shoot him in the heart, not even after all these years. There was part of her that thought about Fwhip, about what he'd think about her getting married, about what he'd say about her marrying Cleo and Pearl. Some days she thought about what the crew would be like with him on it, though she tried to shut those memories out, she'd never get that. Not when he'd seen her as a monster, not when he'd been dead for millennia.)
Once Impulse woke up and made his way to her room the pair sat in silence for a few moments.
"Do you like the ring?"
"I love the ring."
"I'm glad."
"Is this why you didn't want me in the engine room?"
"It is, yes. The amount of times you almost walked in while I was forging this."
Gem laughed, a smile on her face.
"Then maybe be better at hiding."
Impulse sighed, a fond sound that Gem wondered if she'd ever heard from Fwhip.
There was silence for a moment, two siblings sat side by side until Gem spoke.
"…I wish Lizzie and Joel were here to see this."
She wished Fwhip was here to see her get married, a small bit of her missed the brother she'd had, even if he'd betrayed her, even if he'd killed her. She still wanted him here to watch her get married, still wanted him here by her side even if only for a moment.
"We'll video it and make them watch it all when they visit."
When.
It felt more like an if.
If they visited.
"They'll be stuck watching what they've missed for years."
"That they will."
Silence.
Then-
"I'm glad you'll be here Impulse."
Glad to have one brother here with her, glad to have Impulse by her side.
"Always, Gem. Always."
He said it so easily, so simply.
It tore at her heart.
He'd leave eventually, her family always did.
5)
Impulse laughed as he dove behind a tree, the crew were having a small gun battle, just to laugh and let out some steam. It was a lovely day on a nice small planet and Impulse was glad they were having this battle here, outside, and not on Tango.
Gem had grabbed his arm when the battle started, insisting he should be on her team with a laugh.
"Come on Impulseeee."
"Alright, alright. You know I can't say no when you give me that look."
"Hell yeah! You all are going down!!!!"
Laughter surrounded him as Pearl and Gem shot side by side, targeting Martyn and Mumbo, trying their best to shoot Joe when Skizz came to their corner of the forest.
Skizz who was immediately spotted by Gem.
"GET HIM!"
Impulse chased after Skizz, much to Skizz's annoyance.
"Dude! You're on Gem's side?"
"Of course. She's my sister, and she asked first."
"Come on dude, I've known you longer!"
"Nope! Not leaving Gem's team, next time try to find me faster."
"Not fair!"
Impulse laughed as he continued to chase after Skizz, he didn't notice Gem nearby smiling, didn't realize that she'd heard their conversation.
After all, he was busy trying to hunt down Skizz before someone else could shoot him.
+1)
Gem wasn't sure where Tango was trying to lead her, but she followed him anyways. Followed the lights and signs to the airlock.
The air lock where Impulse stood with a jet pack strapped onto his back. No suit. Just a jet pack that would get him far from the ship and a metal sheet in his hands.
"Impulse?"
He didn't turn to her.
He didn't acknowledge her.
"Impulse? Why are you- why's the airlock open?"
He wasn't in a suit. She wasn't aware of any maintenance that needed done.
What was he doing?
"Impulse?"
Silence then-
"I'm sorry Gem."
"Impulse what are you-"
Then he jumped out, the jet pack was turned on and she watched her brother drift away.
Her brother who promised he'd stay.
"No! Don't! Impulse!"
He was already gone.
"No. no no no no no. You can't- You-"
Gem fell to her knees, curled herself into a ball as she stared at the airlock Impulse had left from.
"Impulse what have you done? Where- why?"
The airlock began to close and Gem stood, she ran to get a suit but she was stopped by Tango. He wouldn't let her. Why wouldn't he let her? Impulse was her brother, he said he'd never leave her. He'd left. Why did he leave?
"Let me- Tango let me get him. I- I have to- Tango we can't- we can't leave him to float in space. We can't."
Gem looked at the air lock, now closed.
Why did he leave?
"Why? Why have you left, Impulse?"
What had she done?
Was this her fault?
Had she done something wrong?
She shouldn't have let herself get attached. This was how you lose people, this is how you mourn people.
She didn't think she'd have to mourn another brother.