Heart of the Sea

Quinn didn't know what to make of Isla. She seemed wary of him at first and she bumbled around the house like a bird with a broken wing, but she was sweet once she was convinced Quinn wasn't going to hurt her. Tubbs followed her closely and often started licking her at random times, which made her giggle.

He had made a breakfast of eggs and bacon, which she scarfed down like she hadn't eaten in days. As he gave her a second serving, she poked at the runny egg yolks.

"Why is it round, and then a puddle?" she asked.

"Huh?" Quinn frowned. "Sorry, I'm not following."

"It's round," she repeated, cupping her hands like a bubble. "Then I touch it with the pointy, and it turns into a puddle."

"The pointy?"

She lifted the fork with a smile.

"Right," Quinn said slowly. "Uh, you're breaking the yolk. I'm not really sure how it works. I guess there's a thin layer of... something? I don't know. Something is holding it together. So when it breaks, the runny yolk comes out."

"And where does this come from?" she asked, picking up the bacon.

"From a pig."

"A pig!"

She let out a noise of satisfied delight as she took a bite of the crispy bacon, then dipped it into the egg yolk and took another bite. Quinn wondered if she had hit her head really hard, or if she was just strange. He didn't mind, regardless. She wasn't hurting anyone, and he had never seen anyone so grateful for eggs and bacon.

The smile fell off her face when she noticed him put on his coat and hat. It was still pretty dark and foggy out, but Quinn was used to getting his errands out of the way before most people were awake.

"Are you leaving?" she asked.

"Only for an hour or so," he told her. "I need to run down to the market. Do you want me to bring you anything?"

"More bacon, please."

That made him crack a smile and he gave her a nod. Tubbs hopped up on the table, so at least Quinn could rest assured that she wouldn't be too lonely.

Quinn only had one day off in a week and he usually spent that day sleeping, but he didn't mind sacrificing that to help a girl in need. And this girl was clearly in need. Besides stocking up the kitchen, he had picked up a simple wool dress, warm stockings, a coat, and lace up boots for Isla. He figured she would want to wear something other than his shirt, and he had lied to the seamstress and told her he was buying a gift for his cousin. He still wasn't sure who Isla was, and he didn't need to go around telling people he found her.

She was sitting on the floor and playing with Tubbs when he returned. She seemed excited that he picked up more bacon like she requested, but eyed the box curiously.

"Ah, that's for you," Quinn said. "Sorry, I don't really know what the latest fashions are. The seamstress said this was practical. It can get pretty cold out here."

He opened the box and lifted the blue wool dress out of it, and Isla's eyes lit up.

"You got this... for me?" she asked.

"Yeah, it was nothing," Quinn said. "That old shirt isn't doing much for you. At least this will fit- WOAH."

He nearly had a heart attack when she suddenly pulled the shirt over her head and stripped down to the nude again, with only the few bandages covering her. Quinn turned bright red and looked away as she took the dress out of his hands.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I just didn't expect- I mean, I can leave?"

"But this is your house," she frowned. "Is this correct?"

He hesitantly looked back at her, seeing she had put the dress on. The back was open, and it seemed she was struggling to figure out how she closed it.

"Yeah, you just have to button it up," Quinn said, awkwardly clearing his throat. "Um, here, I can help."

He brushed her hair to the side and buttoned up the back of the dress. She then put on the stockings and he helped her lace the boots up. She tied it all together with the pink peacoat and twirled around like she was wearing a ballgown.

"How does it feel?" he asked.

"It's so warm and soft," she said with delight. "Where does this go?"

She picked up a white ribbon and grinned when Tubbs batted at it.

"Oh, that was just used to close the box," Quinn said. "It's not part of it."

"Seems a waste," she said. "I'll put it in my hair. And Tubbs can have the box, because he likes it."

Tubbs had already made himself comfortable in the dress box, so Quinn shrugged it off.

"Are you keeping the coat on?" he asked. "It's usually for when you go out."

"It's such a pretty pink."

"Yeah, you are."

He realized what he said after he said it and turned red again, though Isla didn't seem to have noticed the slip up. It was hard not to notice she was a pretty young woman, especially when Quinn had been patching up her injuries. Not that it made it okay for him to act a fool in front of her.

She eventually gave up and took the coat off when it got too hot to wear it by the fireplace, especially when Tubbs came to sit on her lap. Quinn let her have his bedroom again, and he took to the couch. He didn't sleep long before he was attacked with nightmares again.

"Quincey! Quincey, look over here!"

Quinn turned to see Piper wading up to her knees in the water, holding up a conch shell she had found with a proud look on her face. Her wide grin showed off the baby tooth that had fallen out that morning, which she had promptly put under her pillow so there was no risk of losing it.

Quinn took the shell from her and examined it up close.

"It's a real nice one, Pipes," he said. "A rare find."

"I know!" she said. "And I saw something sparkly over there, too!"

He had only turned away for a second when the rip tide came in, and suddenly Piper was gone.

Quinn woke up with a start. His heart pounded in his chest and his hair was stuck to his sweaty forehead. He felt a scream caught in his throat and found it hard to breath as he looked over at the conch shell sitting on the windowsill.

He cursed under his breath as he stood up and walked out onto the porch, letting the cold night air cool him off a little bit. He could hear the ocean, but he saw nothing but pitch black darkness. There really could have been anything out there.