Chapter Text
All three of his heralds should be six feet under. Mourned for and distant memories by now. Yet they stood tall and healthy by Joseph’s side, giving heated glances between her and The Father. She saved their lives, spared them, granted them mercy when anyone else would have done otherwise.
Judging by the smile Joseph was giving her, she could tell that things could’ve been a lot worse for her if she watched his family die instead. He looked grateful, almost happy to see her. Glad that she was finally coming to greet him. Like she had a choice. There wasn’t much she could do. She was at an awkward place, not knowing if she could keep pushing for the resistance. Right now it seemed as if she was in the family’s good graces. So far they haven't made any more attempts at her life. That was probably due to the fact that she hadn’t destroyed anymore of their property. The resistance was at a standstill.
Joseph was the one to walk forward from where they stood in front of his church, ignoring the Peggie’s surrounding them, only focusing on her. She kept her distance, eyes looking at the covered bliss barrels that could be opened and tossed her way in a moment. “Deputy, this is a pleasant surprise.” He rocked on his heels, like he had too much energy. “I’ve been meaning to speak with you for a long time now.” She flinched, knowing that Joseph had the capability to send his men after her any time he pleased if he actually wanted to chat.
Her throat constricted. He terrified her, his show of power was much different from his family. A calmness that was ready to burst. She didn’t want to see that anger, and if she did, then she wouldn’t want to be on the receiving side.
Joseph held his arms open wide, waiting for her to walk towards him. Strangely she felt a sense of calm fill her when she looked behind Joseph. His family gave her wide smiles, appreciative looks. Faith even gave her a subtle thumbs up, beaming. It made her relax, she let herself be cradled by Joseph. His fingers carded through her hair, curling at the nape of her neck.
“I have an invitation for you. To thank you properly for saving my brothers and sister.” He pulled back, hand on her cheek. “Please, come to our ranch. Let me treat you to dinner.” He smiled wide. She had a sneaking suspicion this might be an offer to persuade her to not steal their ranch like she had done with so many other outposts.
Glancing behind him one more time, she finally nodded in agreement. One night, only a few hours. It was just dinner.
——
Her headlights lit up the dirt path on the way to the Seed ranch. She went slower around the bends. Glancing at the greenhouse that held bliss flowers, along with the silo that from what she read was filled with bliss. She marveled at the large ‘Yes’ sign planted in an empty field. A smaller version to the one she blew up. Something she did when she thought John wouldn’t be around to complain for long. His empty threats wouldn’t hold when she killed him. Things changed so drastically, she couldn’t ever turn back after she saved John.
She slowed when the ranch came into view. A beautiful building that she would have the liberty of seeing up close. She almost regretted not taking this place for the resistance sooner. The 8 bit pizza bar was great, but this would make a sweet hang out spot as well as a huge middle finger towards the Seeds. Then again, they were making amends now. The whole ‘taking their ranch’ plan went away the night she decided to not leave John left for dead. And the things she did in the name of the resistance only dwindled as time went on and the number of siblings she saved increased.
There were three cars parked and silent. And for fucks sake she could tell which car belonged to who. A large sleek black car that resembled a Range Rover had to belong to John, he was extra and his whole ensemble screamed rich. A truck that was a muted red was what she hoped was Jacob’s. It had splattered mud around the tires and rims. The light red looked worn, like it had m been driven halfway around the country. The third car was either was Faith’s or Joseph’s, though she was leaning towards Faith. It was white, a color of innocence and the project. It was a beetle Volkswagen, on the mirror she could see a flower hanging, surprisingly not a bliss flower. It was purple. Wild geranium. It brought a smile to the deputy’s face. The same flower that saved Faith’s life.
She parked next in line, beside John’s assumed car. It paled her Jeep in comparison. Not her normal car, she was still trying to wash the blood out of the passenger seat after she towed John around.
The deputy planned on taking a few deep breaths, control herself before knocking. She didn’t get much of a chance. The door swung open and John walked out with a look of awe in his eyes. Like he was astounded she actually came. He walked down the steps, a smile on his face, he leaned on the side of the house watching the expressions play out over her face. “Deputy.” He gave her a nod, unusually civil.
When she took a few steps towards him, John reached out, holding her hand. They stood in the dying light, John stroking her skin. He took a deep breath. His smile was kind, slightly nervous. “Shall we?” The whole thing was absurd, she had to hold back a laugh.
He ushered her inside where the place was lively. Joseph was cooking, hunched over a large amount of food that he wasn’t finished preparing. Shit, she was early. She had hoped she wouldn’t have to waste any time talking, just get right to dinner than leave. She even came ten minutes later than Jacob had suggested. Which he wasted no time pointing out when he saw her.
The table was perfectly set, bathed in yellow lighting that put her mind at ease. Faith sat with hands folded in her lap, gazing over at Joseph. She scanned the area, landing on the deputy and smiling. Rook waved from where she was leaning on the wall. The whole thing was too domestic. Not at all what she did for dinner, nor how the people would act. On the rare occasion everyone could get together, it was one big clusterfuck of noise and a mixture of food since no one could decide on something coherent. This was a nice change, it felt like home.
Jacob came to stand beside her, wincing as he shifted his weight. Out of the three, his wounds were the most fresh. Still healing. Her eyes darted to his side, it was on the tip of her tongue to ask if he was okay. He spoke first. “Walking straight into the wolves den. You don’t have the best survival instinct. Surprised you made it this far.” She saved the man’s life and he still had the nerve to make comments like that. She couldn’t decide if he was teasing or not.
John heard their exchange and was quick to slap his brother’s arm. “She’s our guest, Jacob. Remember what we’re trying to do.” That comment made her tense. What were they trying to do? What ulterior motive was going to come up at the dinner table?
When she was pulled to one of the chairs she forced her hands under the table so they wouldn’t see her nervous energy. She picked at loose strings on her jeans as plates were set up and food was dumped onto them. She listening to the playful banter they threw around that only siblings could muster. It made her frown, many nights she was kept awake at the thought that she should be home with her family. This insomnia mingled with being homesick made her travel too late at night, something all of Hope County knew considering the jobs she performed.
Joseph sat at the head of the table, no surprise there. John sat to his right, Jacob to his left. Faith and her were on the end. Joseph presented a smile to them all, eyes lingering on her before holding out his hands. Seemingly second nature for the family to say grace. Her slow response made Jacob snap his fingers, brow furrowed at her delay.
The whole thing was awkward. Because of course it was. She showed time and time again which team she was siding with, and it definitely wasn’t Eden’s Gate. The only sound was the scraping of silverware against plates. It set her on edge. Her sleep addled brain wasn’t doing much good, her hands were shaking. A sudden thought came to her. Maybe they drugged her drink. Filled it with bliss or perhaps some poison to just get rid of her.
“Relax Deputy.” John’s drawl had her snapping to attention. “It’s only dinner. We’re friends now, no reason to be so scared.” She forced a smile and nodded. Immediately training back onto her food. Why did she agree to this?
Eventually conversation did begin to flow. Small snippets of their day that she really didn’t want to hear about. After all, they were speaking of atonements and baptisms and turning people into either angels or mindless soldiers. All things she had been fighting against since the very beginning. Her hands clenched around the table cloth when she was finished, earlier than everyone but Jacob. “Deputy,” she flinched at Joseph’s words, “What do you plan on doing after tonight? Do you have a family to return home to?” His tone had a hint of worry.
“No. Not really. My parents live out in Virginia, retired. And my brother, well, he’s got his own family. Wife and kids.” She laughed softly, “Newborn actually, probably can’t get any sleep as it is. He doesn’t need the extra stress of me coming over.” The whole family was staring at her. In all her time here they didn’t know a damn thing about her, not even her name, and her sudden openness was something they were paying close attention to. Even her friends knew very little of her life before Hope County. She was just the deputy who was willing to save them. She didn’t have a name or a story.
“So you’ll stay?” John’s perky voice sounded falsely happy, giving a triumphant gaze over his family.
“Don’t have much of a choice.” She lifted water to her lips, her throat had gone dry. In another time she knew that Hudson or Pratt wouldn’t have minded her sleeping over for as long as she liked if things got rough and she needed a place to crash. It hit her like a ton of bricks, she should have negotiated before she came here. Got her friends back and asked to leave in exchange for dinner and never coming back again. She felt herself sweat despite the high blast of the A/C.
“And what about the resistance, or the Whitetail Militia?” Jacob scoffed like he was annoyed. She wasn’t really the leader of the Militia, couldn’t stop them from doing whatever the hell they wanted in his region. Probably wreaking havoc. And after the death of Eli she was more than happy for them.
“What about them Jacob?”
“I’m not asking for you to stop them. Don’t expect you to Kitten. But are you still gonna help them?” She flinched. Shrugging, hand coming up to scratch at her head, turning away from prying eyes.
“Dunno.” Once again she drowned her words in her water. Face heating in embarrassment. She hadn’t given it much thought. Just going day by day.
Faith frowned, pulling her attention away from Jacob with her softer voice, “So you’re in between. That’s dangerous, not belonging to either group.” The Deputy scowled, she might be unsure, but that didn’t mean her friends wouldn’t have her back. They were close after all the shit they’ve been through.
Her apprehension must’ve shown clearly because Joseph was quick to step in, change topics. A mediator of sorts. She assumed he did that a lot. That at this point it came naturally.
Towards the end of the night when she was swaying on her feet from exhaustion and still trying to figure out the nearest place she could drive without crashing from fatigue, Joseph came up behind her, a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure you’ve seen my brothers and sister concern for you. They were afraid to say it outright, so I will.” He stroked her cheek, watching her lean into the touch. “Stay the night?” Her eyes widened, body going rigid.
“When’s the last time you’ve slept properly? It’s easy to see you don’t get enough sleep. It’s not healthy. Besides, this might be your last few nights in Hope County,” he raised a hand when she opened her mouth in protest. “I’m aware of what you’ve said child, we will speak further in the morning. But for now, come inside. Sleep.” She kept her mouth shut as he led her back inside. Her head was lowered as she tried to cover a yawn. She lied to herself when she thought that she was only appeasing them in hopes that they will be kinder to her later on.
The room that she was led to was large, mostly to accommodate the huge bed that was bigger than normal. She realized a second later that it would be perfect to fit all five of them. Even if two of those people were around 6 feet tall.
She stood awkwardly until Joseph pushed a change of clothes into her hands. A shirt that smelled like Jacob’s earthy scent and sweatpants that had an airplane on the thigh, John’s presumably. The act of kindness and familial affection made her smile. She stripped when the door was shut, yanking at the clothes and glancing at a nearby mirror. She looked like a kid who was playing dress up with how they hung off her body. The gesture was still there though.
The door swung open, John was whistling, arms swinging at his side, he was beaming when he looked at her. He wore baggy pants and a silky button up that was grey, unusual after all the blue she was used to seeing him in. Jacob trotted in after, immediately going for the bed. He forewent a shirt, leaving on shorts that were tattered and dirty. Looking between the two she wondered how John and Jacob were even related.
Faith’s outfit was modest, she stood behind the deputy for a short moment looking over both of them in the mirror. Her nightgown was a pastel green. Lace lining the bottom edges. She wasn’t surprised at all to see Joseph come in wearing no shirt, she’s seen way too much of that man at this point. He wore pants that clung to his figure, leaving so little to the imagination.
John’s impatience was clear as he tugged her to the bed, she was practically thrown on the mattress next to Jacob. The rough action was quickly chastised by Joseph a few seconds later.
John mumbled something harshly at his older brother and crawled in on the other side of her, flush against her back. Jacob wasn’t completely pressed against her chest, leaving enough room for Faith to wrap her arms around her lower half. She heard the creaking weight as Joseph climbed on, yet couldn’t pinpoint where he lay. Somehow she was able to relax around these people. Calm her breathing and feel safe. It was comforting to know that no one had the nerve to interrupt the Seed’s sleep, that no one would be hunting her tonight because of where she was.
——-
Waking up in a tangle of limbs wasn’t pleasant. It scared her for a few moments as she tried to recount last night.
John’s beard tickled the back of her neck. Faith was warming up her front, hair fanning out on the pillow below her. Jacob and Joseph were gone, probably downstairs judging from the noises she could hear.
It was way too difficult to get out of bed. John clung to her like she was a damn teddy bear, actually whining when she stood up and pushed his hands away.
Stepping out into the hallway and she almost crashed into Jacob’s solid figure. He was dripping wet, hair darker from the water and mussed. Luckily he had some modesty, not walking around naked and at least having a towel wrapped around his waist. For the first time she got a good look at his chest, last night in the darkness she didn’t focus on it. But now her gaze lingered on the scars. She felt an urge to pepper him in kisses, to take some of the hurt away. The whole family had been through hell.
“You’re staring.” The Deputy flushed at his comment, shuffling her feet. His hand came up to cradle one of his gunshot wounds. “You leaving so soon? Joe was gonna make breakfast.” She only shrugged, the sudden pressure of those expectations was too much. She’s done a lot for them already for someone claiming to be with the resistance. “Hey, Kitten, no worry. I’m not forcing you.” He patted a hand on her shoulder before sauntering into a different room.
She made the descent down the stairs, peeking around and hoping she’d make a quick escape with no one noticing. No such luck on her part, because just as she pushed open the door Joseph called out for her. It made her cringe, but she turned all the same.
“You said we’d speak in the morning.” She laughed, shaking her head and stepping out into the morning light.
“No Joseph, you were the one who said we’d speak. Not me.” She heard him sigh and the sound of his footsteps as he followed her to her car. When she opened the car door, Joseph’s hand shot out in front of her to slam it shut. When she looked up she saw a calming, yet fierce anger.
“Tell me what you want Deputy. I see something off in your eyes. All last night you had this look. Something is wrong, it’s keeping you up at night. You were tossing and mumbling in bed.” His head was tipped to the side like a puppy.
“I want to leave Hope County.”
“Done. I’m willing to forgive, to let you leave. No one will stop you. That’s not to say you won’t be missed.” His kind words fizzled out when she remembered what was really important.
“I want my friends. You don’t get to take that part of me.” Her voice shook as she raised her head higher, shoulders reared back. He was still almost a foot taller than her but she knew there was a fire burning in her eyes.
A sigh left his lips and he smiled, head tipping forward to rest against hers. “That’s simple. Tonight, come to my compound. I’ll have your friends and you’ll be ready to leave. No more fights. The war is done.” When he pulled back to walk away she recalled her and Faith’s conversation. How Joseph just used the same phrase. The war is over. Her muscles clenched tight as she hopped in her car. She wouldn’t bring anyone, if this was a trap than she didn’t need them to be dragged into this.
—-
She was too wound up to say goodbye to any of her friends. She didn’t know if any of them would bring up her saving the same people who had been terrorizing Hope County, in fact she’s been dodging their phone calls. Ducking out in prepper stashes until sunset came. That’s when she made her way to Joseph’s compound.
He was true to his word, she wasn’t sure why she ever doubted him. Her friends stood in front of the family, looking scared and unsure. Each of them needed a hug and a blanket after all they’ve been through. She noticed how their gazes remained untrustful as she parked her car, now void of blood and ready to make the trek back home. Her CD player was loaded and prepared for the long drive, feel good music bound to make them smile.
She was jumpy, hands shaking. It hit her that she was mostly scared of what Hudson might say about what she did for the Seeds. Pratt was too afriad to question her, he wanted out and didn’t care what it took to leave. Not to mention he was practically brainwashed. And the Sheriff wouldn’t question her motives, he would think that she did what she had to do to survive. She wasn’t sure if he was right.
When she stepped out of her car and got close enough, Hudson was the first one to walk forward, drawing her tight to her chest and mumbling something along the lines of ‘Thank fuck you’re okay.’ The deputy’s eyes roamed over her bruised face and felt guilt run through her body. Not for the first time she wondered what would have happened if she killed the Seeds and then came to Joseph. Would be as merciful and grant her the passage to leave? At that point, with blood shed would she even want to leave? Fighting had always come so easy, especially when she needed justice served. Those thoughts, the what if’s, they would crowd her mind forever. She tried to push them away, it wasn’t important anymore. She grimaced, things could have been so much worse. She made the right call.
The Sheriff held tight to her shoulder, clasping her hand and saying how they had to leave, that they weren’t coming back, but she saw the subtle wink he tossed her way when Joseph couldn’t see. The words he spoke were just for show. After all they’ve been through he wanted to do the right thing. He wanted to bring the national guard, something they should have done from day one. It was beyond her why they brought three deputies along when they were the lowest rank. Someone didn’t do their research on the Seed family. No one was prepared for them to be so organized. Either that or it was Nancy’s call and she just fucked them over.
Pratt carried unimaginable fear. Glancing back at Jacob, who he stood close to unlike everyone else. Almost as if he was waiting for permission to leave, like he couldn’t believe it. Jacob looked slightly peeved. He was losing his play toy, and she felt that pang of guilt again. She squashed it down and approached Pratt. She pulled him into a hug, feeling him tense beneath her. She couldn’t imagine the last time when someone touched him gently and didn’t inflict pain on him.
She ran a finger over the cut on his face and hissed through her teeth. Those would scar, they wouldn’t heal right, neither would the mental wounds Jacob left. She pulled back and pushed him towards the car where her friends had piled in.
“Deputy.” Joseph came forward, pressing their heads together one last time. He kept his eyes open, firmly on her. “I’m sorry for all that happened, I thought God was right when he told me you were the one in my visions. I was told that you would be the downfall of the project.” He shook his head minutely. “I was blind. So wrong. And for that I apologize. If there’s anything me or my family can do, don’t hesitate to ask. We owe our lives to you after what you’ve done for us.”
Her throat had gotten tight, she only nodded, breaking their contact and giving one last look to his siblings. She ignored their conflicted faces, she felt it too. A strange urge to say bye, yet at the same time realizing that they are on different sides of a closing war.
Whitehorse had taken roll as driver, something she was thankful for. She got in the passenger seat, head lolling on the headrest. Her hand reached back to squeeze Hudson’s hand, a reassurance if she could offer any.
“Listen Rook,” Whitehorse’s voice sounded so foreign to her ears. “We’re gonna bring so many goddamn people to this place. I don’t care who I have to call. We’ll bring the goddamn army, the national guard, fuck, lets get the FBI if we have to, get everyone on this shit. Make it public knowledge.” She didn’t want to disagree with him. As they drove further away she knew that she was leaving behind so many people who would be trapped under the tyrannical rule of the Seeds. This wasn’t over.
But she nodded anyway, eyes trailing behind her to Pratt, who was mumbling something. Her and him weren’t too different at the end. They both knew that to some extent that Joseph was right. She had seen first hand that God is on his side. It didn’t matter who they brought, the scales would tip in Joseph’s favor. She almost felt sorry for them, they waited for so many years for someone to come along and fulfill his prophecy. And he thought she was it, that finally his vision would come true. Maybe one day the world would be burnt to hell. Not today though. She wouldn’t be the cause of all that. Maybe a year from now when they gathered enough people and had a plan to go back to Hope County, maybe then, some other deputy would be leading the movement and they would be the one to kill the Seeds. They would be the one to destroy the world and start the collapse.
Not her.
She wasn’t the locust in his garden.