Chapter Six

One grand thing about living on an island is that the beach is always ready to welcome you. Rexton had no idea when he was last able to visit the ocean as a pleasant pastime rather than the site of a battle. He smiled at the children by the shore, playing in the waves or collecting seashells. They had already built a grand sandcastle that proudly stood nearly as tall as Claire. So that it wouldn't collapse before Miss Peregrine could join them, they built it well beyond the reach of the ocean waves and a good distance from where they chose to play. He turned in his seat to ensure its safety and smiled as its shadow flickered about the walls, adding further stability.

Children's screams began to fill the air sending him into a panic, lurching forward in his chair and dropping his book. Heart pounding, he scanned the horizon only to find no danger. Rather the screams had transformed into laughter as a few of the older children chased the younger ones into the sea. He sighed heavily and ran a shaky hand through his hair. Though he knew the Loop was safe he couldn't help but immediately be thrown back to a time when those screams didn't dissolve to laughter. He glanced about frantically, trying to identify just five things so he could stop from embarrassing himself. His eyes moved from object to object, the names of his surroundings fleeing his mind. He couldn't focus, sweat beginning to bead on his brow. Helplessness began to flood his veins and the only thought he had was that he needed to move, to get away so the children didn't see his descent into a bundle of frantic nerves.

Summoning whatever strength he had, he faked a smile and waved to Abe a signal indicating he was going for a walk. He counted his steps, willing himself to breathe deeply on every fifth. He continued up the path to the house, nausea settling in his stomach like a stone. He just needed to breathe, focus his mind, and stay calm.

As his throat tightened, two figures appeared before him though he couldn't recognize either. One bent to the other and muffled sounds filled his ears. He placed his hands on either side of his head and fell to his knees, "Just stay away!" He shouted, his voice sounding so far away.

The smaller of the two figures ran past as Rexton pulled his hands from his head to gaze down at them, his shadows swirling forth to distance those nearby to protect him. A pale hand came into his field of view, though it refrained from touching him, its palm facing up and fingers stretched out for him to grasp if he desired.

A muffled voice pierced his thoughts. "Stay with me Rexton. Tell me, do you feel the sun on your skin? The breeze rushing past?"

He nodded, his throat too tight to form speech.

"Good. Hear the ocean waves, the seagulls?"

He shook his head and tightened his hands to fists.

"That's all right, we can come back to that. Breathe deeply with me now."

His eyes became unfocused but he began to try and time his breathing with the voice. Inoutin… out… inoutinoutin…. Outinout… in… out…

"Feel the salty air fill your lungs. Can you smell the ocean? The fish, seaweed and driftwood?"

His eyes closed and he focused on what was described, trying to distinguish the scents individually to help calm his mind. He gently pressed his fingertips against hers, his breath finally coming easily to him.

"Can you hear me now?"

His pulse was no longer pounding through his ears, the sounds of the beach nearby breaching his hearing and her voice sounded so much closer than before. However, he kept his eyes closed to keep his other senses focused and calm. He gave a shaky nod and opened his mouth to speak but couldn't form the words.

"Take your time. Don't try to rush yourself."

He swallowed a few times, his tongue feeling thick in his mouth. "I'msorry, I'msorry, I'msorry, I can't… can't..." he whispered.

A hush filled his ears and a hand grasped him tightly in support. "You're safe here with me Rexton. I can promise you that much. You're safe."

Several tears began to run down his cheeks in relief at the words she continued to repeat. His breathing had calmed although his chest was still tight and nausea continued to churn in his belly. The hand holding his own squeezed and continued to help bring him back to reality. "Can you tell me who I am?"

He smiled involuntarily, having recognized his helper from the moment their hands met. "Peregrine."

Her voice was tinged with a happy sense of relief, "Yes, I am. Can you open your eyes so I can see you?"

He winced but her grasp tightened in reassurance. "It's all right. You're safe. I just want you to tell me about a few things around us."

He nodded in understanding, grateful she knew how to help ground him. Slowly he opened his eyes, further tears escaping them. His gaze flicked to her hand and began to take in the details of it.

"Dark. Long." He whispered, a finger running over one of her nails.

He heard her smile in her voice, "One of my favorite peregrine attributes. What else?"

He shifted his eyes, noticing a few flowers blooming beside them. "Foxglove."

"Fiona loves to spread different flowers about while she travels the island."

He nodded to another, "And red campion. I enjoy flowers."

"One of nature's bounties that fills us with joy."

Finally, he let his eyes raise to hers. "I am so sorry."

Her smile turned bittersweet, "Apologies made when unwarranted devalue the warranted ones. So many times we think we have failed when in fact we show strength in our perseverance. You've not failed Rexton, you've proven yourself a survivor."

He blinked slowly, absorbing her words and the wisdom within them. "Thank you," he whispered, a hand settling upon her own, "I've never… it happens so rarely I didn't even consider…"

"So long as you are inside my loop you will never be alone should this ever happen again, unless you so request."

They smiled to one another and Rexton wiped some of the sweat from his brow with a heavy sigh. "Would you prefer to return to the house?" she asked, helping him to stand.

He sighed and glanced to the path, briefly wondering if he even had the energy to. Before he could answer properly, his companion began to swing herself under his arm to serve as a support. "Miss Peregrine, I'm not completely indisposed." He laughed.

"That may be true but you very much require assistance."

He glanced back toward the beach, remembering the activities he enjoyed with the children. "But the children…" he trailed off, not wanting to ruin their sandcastle surprise.

"Will be perfectly fine. I'm sure whatever they managed to do today to surprise me can easily be done another day. Enoch ran on ahead to let them know I was otherwise occupied and could not make it today," she explained, helping him begin to walk along the path back to the house.

He chuckled and shook his head. "You Ymbrynes. Always one or two steps ahead."

"Helps when one cares for children."

"Probably not when one of them is taller than you and you need to drag him back home."

Her laugh helped relieve some of the tension still trapped within his chest. "Helping you currently is hardly a challenge. Try having an incorrigible invisible boy that insists on living life in the nude. Some days I wonder if I'll never have to remind him to put his clothes on."

He couldn't help the cackle that burst forth as he remembered his own experience with young Millard. "Teenagers."

They continued to stumble along to the house when an idea flitted through Rexton's mind. "Miss Peregrine? How adverse would you be to an invasion in your kitchen?"

She raised an eyebrow as she glanced up at him. "For you, I'd make an exception. But is now really the right time?"

He smiled down at her, taking in how she held his chest in support of his weakened frame. "It is always the right time to bake my dear Miss Peregrine. Not only does it provide happiness to the baker but the results are hard to argue with."

She shook her head in amusement but had to agree. "Will you allow me to assist?"

"Your kitchen, your rules."

They had entered the garden by now, the entrance to the back of the house nearly in sight. "Though I will restrain myself from baking too much. Rationing had only been ongoing for a few months when you needed to create the loop, correct?"

"Yes but I anticipated such a move and ensured we were well prepared beforehand."

He nodded, "I should have known."

As they entered through the back entry, Miss Peregrine slowly released her grip and let him walk about the pantry without assistance as he examined ingredients. He hummed and tsk-ed a bit before gathering different jars and bottles together to be carried to the kitchen. "Ah-ha!" He exclaimed in surprise, pulling a jar of almonds off one of the topmost shelves.

"That may not be wise. Millard is allergic." Miss Peregrine advised.

He paused, pursed his lips, and thought briefly. Then a smile slowly formed, "Then Miss Peregrine, this treat will be a secret between you and me; a sort of thank you for my stay," he then glanced down at the nuts in his hands. "And for… earlier."

Rather than wallow in changing the events of the past, Rexton quickly set to work in the kitchen, a comfortable silence filling the air. Miss Peregrine began to make tea for them as he combined ingredients in a bowl and set a pot of water on the stove. "When that boils would you be so kind as to add the almonds? They'll need blanching before I can mill them." He asked, kneading the bread dough in a bowl.

"Of course." She replied, pouring their tea into mugs.

He nodded in thanks and continued to focus, feeling his anxiety loosen its grip upon his chest and nausea slowly begin to fade. He still felt a little sluggish, though he expected that to last until he chose to finally rest. He must have gotten lost in his mind for soon Miss Peregrine had begun to mill the now skinless almonds into a fine powder. Glancing at the dough, he knew he may have over-kneaded but the bread would still be delicious. He moved it to rest on the warming stovetop and draped a moistened cloth over it.

"What, exactly, are you going to be making with this?" She asked, setting the bowl of almond flour in front of him.

He smiled, "Magic."

At her look of bewilderment, he was about to explain further but footsteps up the backstairs drew their attention. Rather than divert his attention away from his work he focused on the confection he planned to surprise Miss Peregrine with. Ingredients were carefully measured, egg whites separated from their yolks, and before long he was piping small disks on a pan before making a racket to release any air caught within. It was then he realized that he wasn't alone - Victor stood in the doorway to the pantry, arms crossed as he watched the goings-on. "I wondered where you went. The kitchen wasn't where I thought I'd find you."

"Decided I would surprise everyone with some treats. It's been quite some time since I was last able to."

The boy hummed, "I didn't expect that from an Army General."

Rexton shrugged. "I don't believe in following stereotypes. Whatever a man does a woman can do too. Same for men. What prevents us from cooking, knitting, or even darning socks if it makes us happy?"

"I've never thought of it that way."

A slightly uncomfortable silence fell over them though Rexton continued moving about the kitchen, beginning to work on a batch of choux pastry on the stove. "What do you prefer Victor custard or fruit fillings?"

"I quite enjoy a good custard. My mum used to make us custard pies for our birthdays," he replied with a bit of sadness in his voice.

"Custard it is. Know if anyone has chocolate or strawberry allergies?"

Sitting at the table he shook his head. "Just Millard, but he's only allergic to almonds."

"Wonderful. Triple flavored custard-filled croquembouche it is."

As he continued to work he noticed that Miss Peregrine had yet to return. "Forgive me, I tend to focus a bit too much when I bake. Whatever happened to Miss Peregrine?"

"Oh, I walked Horace home from the beach. He was beginning to have a migraine. Sometimes they get so bad he becomes disoriented so I offered to bring him back from the beach early. Miss Peregrine was helping him upstairs and she's probably making sure he has anything he could need." Victor explained.

"Ah. And you saw me baking and got a bit curious?"

He smiled and then glanced at his hands on the table. "Not only because of baking."

Rexton raised an eyebrow. "If you've any questions, I'll do my best to answer."

He was quiet for a time, obviously gathering his thoughts. "Ever since I found out just how strong I am I've wanted to help people. Abe was telling me what you did in the war. With the hollowgast? I want to leave with you. I want to help."

The air left his lungs and his heart leaped into his throat. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen sir."

"You're barely old enough to have joined the army. Abe was an exception among my men because of his peculiarity, the others were all over the age of twenty-five according to my direction. What makes you think I would take you with me?"

He stood from the table quickly, the seat screeching as it was rapidly moved back. "I'm strong! Imagine your ten best soldiers and put them in one body. I can learn fast and I have nothing to keep me here."

Rexton's eyes squinted as he slowly turned from his workspace. He couldn't help but allow his shadow to move through the kitchen. "Nothing to keep you? Even your sister?"

"Bronwyn knows how I feel about the loop. She knew when we came here that I wasn't one to stay in safety while others are in danger."

"And yet Victor, you are in danger."

But no sooner had "What?" fallen from his lips, cold shadows wrapped around his ankles and wrists.

Slowly walking through the kitchen, Rexton eyed his prey. "You said you can't use my shadow against me! That you only do that in desperate situations!"

"I don't need your shadow to teach you a lesson kid. My own is more than strong enough." He responded, watching as Victor struggled to move any muscle in his arms.

"And just what lesson is that?" He shouted.

"If you can't protect yourself or even sense something that you can see slowly creeping up on you, just how are you going to sense something invisible?"

"That's why I need training! You could teach me. You and I are alike - we can't see the hollowgast."

"Oh you're quite right, I can't see them like Abe. But I can feel their shadows. I've four other men that can sense them in some way due to their peculiarity. Just how are you going to sense where your enemy is?"

Victor was rendered speechless, he'd thought he would have easily been accepted as what Abe had dubbed a 'Hollow Hunter' due to his sheer strength alone. Rexton was continuing to work on his baked goods, his shadow holding Victor in place. He glanced down at his hands and felt amazed and somewhat humbled as he still couldn't move despite his strength. The sound of heels clicking against the wooden floors caused a spike of nerves to flick through him as he realized his caretaker was returning. Had she heard their conversation?

Miss Peregrine entered the room with a smile that quickly fell as she saw Victor held by shadows. She narrowed her eyes at Rexton who continued to bake blissfully unaware of the near-death stare he was receiving. "Mr. Ambrose, do I need to gather my crossbow or will you release Victor without any further threats?"

"Terribly sorry my dear Miss Peregrine. I'll have him released in a jiffy." He replied with a wave of his hand.

Swiftly the shadows encircling wrists and ankles retreated to their owner, the loss of their cold embrace a little startling to Victor. He gently rubbed a wrist, glancing at the man who had soundly defeated his dreams then left to return to the beach. Miss Peregrine kept her eyes on her guest as she sipped on her now cold tea. "And just what was all that about?"

"Simply an attempt to educate a teenage boy with a hero complex."

She hummed in response and leaned against a nearby counter to face him. "I wondered when he would ask you to take him with you."

He laughed. "And you couldn't have warned me?"

"You're a general and a man who kills hollows, Mr. Ambrose. A teenage boy is no match for you."

He smiled and opened the oven to check the status of his bakes. "I didn't expect to have your blessing in this situation if I'm honest. I was racking my brain for other confections to gain your mercy."

She smiled and sipped at her tea. "Well, this is a difficult situation. Normally I'd have your head for attempting to tell my children what to do. However, it is in Victor's best interests to stay here, even if he refuses to realize it."

"I hope for all our sakes he learns that before it is too late."

Despite the wondrous smells filling the kitchen both couldn't help but feel a bit nauseated at the truthfulness of those words.


A/N: I am so terribly sorry for the delay on this chapter! I had different intentions when beginning to write this chapter however Rexton did not agree and things took a different turn. I hope you enjoyed this, please leave a review and I will see you in the next update!