Alice didn't know why she did it, or what she'd expected, all she knew was the large scary man was threatening her mom. Filled with anger and fear, she ran out and shouted at the man. Then he hit her.

The girl had never known pain like that. Charlotte was there holding her, and Alice gasped for breath, but it hurt. Everything hurt. Breathing hurt. Not breathing hurt. She made short, desperate gasps to get more air, but each was more agony than the last.

Eventually, everything started to get cold. Usually, Alice didn't like to be cold, but where the cold spread, the pain stopped, so she welcomed it. Her vision was getting blurry and dark around the edges, but the pain was going away, so that was all right.

Alice tried to look up at Charlotte, but she was suddenly very sleepy. As her eyes closed, she wondered if they'd won, if the bad guys were all gone. But her mind got foggy, and soon, it didn't matter anymore. The pain was all gone now, so she knew she'd be alright when she woke up.

-

Charlotte quickly assessed the damage Alice received. Many of her bones were broken, her fluids were leaking internally, and her air circulation organs were punctured by bone fragments. If things continued like this, she would not last long.

Lacy ran over. All her attention was on Alice. "Oh god! Alice! Baby! Stay with me! Keep your eyes open! Alice! Honey! You'll be okay! Just stay awake!"

Charlotte could tell Lacy's words were falling on deaf ears. In a last-ditch effort to save itself, Alice's body was shutting down as many of its systems as it could to recover from the trauma it had received, but it would not be enough.

Scott seemed lost and confused, almost like he was asleep on his feet, as he stumbled over to examine his little sister. He looked up at Charlotte. "She's going to be okay, right? I mean...you caught her...and you can heal her...right?" Charlotte could tell there was something more to these questions than his usual inquiries. It was as if he required an answer that She could not readily give.

Charlotte considered her options. If she'd been at full capacity, such a thing would have been almost easy, but as it was, there were really only two options available to her. She looked back and forth between Scott and Alice. "What is it that makes a human? Is it your body or your mind?"

Scott stared at her, though his eyes seemed focused on something much further away. Then his expression changed, his eyes narrowed, and he frowned. "What are you asking? We don't have time for your stupid questions, Charlotte! We need to do something! We need to save Alice!"

It was clear Scott misunderstood her question, but he was right. They were running out of time. She shook her head. "No, you misunderstand. I'm not asking hypothetically. I can save Alice's body, but her mind will be badly damaged by the lack of nutrients and oxygen. I could heal even those damages in time, but the information stored in the damaged portions would be forever lost. She would essentially be starting new."

Charlotte looked down at Alice. She knew what her choice would be, but it was not her call to make, so She continued. "Alternatively, I can save her brain, but in doing so, I will have to extract it from her body, causing it severe harm and irreversible decay. I can then give her a new body. It will take time for her to learn how to function in it, but I believe she will fully adapt to it with aid."

Lacy looked confused. "What do you mean a new body? What body can you give her?"

Charlotte tilted her head as she switched her attention from Scott to Lacy. "There is only one body available that would suit Alice's needs and provide adequate longevity. The one from which I am addressing you."

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Lacy looked confused. "But then...she wouldn't be my baby anymore..."

Charlotte nodded. "So then, you prefer I save her body so that you can retrain her?"

Scott spoke up loudly and decisively, though he was trembling and was freely crying as he spoke. "No! Save her mind! Alice will always be Alice, whatever she looks like!"

Lacy looked at her son in surprise, then turned to Charlotte and nodded. "Yes, save her mind."

Charlotte nodded. "Then I will need you both to leave right away. Even your breath contains microorganisms that could threaten Alice's well-being."

Lacy paused. "But..."

Charlotte cut her off. "As Scott already stated, this is a time-sensitive matter. Please, for Alice's sake, leave this room. I will let you know when I am done."

Scott placed his hand on Lacy's shoulder, and when she looked up, he nodded. After a moment, she stood up and followed him out of the room, sparing one final look back before walking out into the scene of the recent battle.

-

Lacy was lost in a haze of confusion. She walked up to the giant monster that had been one of Charlotte's bodies not long ago and stared at its utterly alien visage. Her daughter's life was in the hands of this creature. Her daughter was going to be one of these creatures... She shook her head. She knew she was being unfair. Charlotte wasn't the one who initially placed the children in danger. In fact, she'd risked everything to save Alice and Scott both. Still, a part of her rebelled at thinking about who was responsible. Sure, there was Cooper. That much was obvious, but if she was honest, she was also...

The sound of something smacking a wall drew her attention. Scott was pounding a wall, then after a few moments, he leaned against the wall, resting his head as he stood there, crying. Realizing her little blame game wouldn't help anyone at the moment, Lacy walked over to her son and hugged him. Or at least she tried to, but he pushed her away. She smiled sadly, thinking that the response was fair.

When he looked up at her, Scott's eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with pure red, his face contorted into a scowl that burned a pit into her stomach. When he opened his mouth, she was ready for him to hurl accusations and blame her way. In truth, she deserved it. But apparently, his mind was elsewhere. "Why didn't I fire sooner! Why couldn't I pull that damned trigger when I needed to? When I could have still saved...Alice... Why did I just stand there and let her die..?"

Realizing what was happening in his head, Lacy grabbed her son and hugged him again, this time ignoring his attempts to break free. "Listen to me, Scott; that was neither your fight nor your responsibility. You are not to blame! Cooper's to blame, his pirates are to blame, and even I'm to blame, but not you. You were placed in an impossible situation that you should have never been in because of my failures as a mother and as a pirate. This is all on me, not you! I need you to understand that!"

Lucy then held Scott at arm's distance while searching his face. "Alice will need you to understand it too. If...no, when she recovers...whatever she looks like...it's you that she'll need more than anyone. Her big brother who's always been there for her. If every time you look at her, all she sees is you blaming yourself, that'll hurt her too."

Lucy hugged Scott again, and there was no fight in him this time. He held on as if for dear life as she continued. "It's unreasonable to ask this of you, especially after all my failings put you in this position, but I'm asking it anyway. Forgive yourself because you didn't do anything wrong. Place the blame where it belongs, on me, on Cooper, on anyone but yourself, and instead focus on being the big brother Alice has always known..."

Scott was silent for a few moments, and when he finally spoke, his voice was small and terrified, reminding Lacy that despite all he'd been through and overcome, he was still very young and very frightened. "But...how?"

Lacy smiled sadly and shook her head. "I don't really know the answer to that. I wish I did. I wish I could reveal some great secret that would give you all the answers. You certainly deserve it! But part of growing up is realizing that no one really knows what they're doing. We're all just doing our best and hoping it's enough. But you already know that, don't you? You've had to grow up far too early. Just one more way I've failed you..."

Scott was quiet a little longer, and when he spoke up again, she could almost see him as he was before she'd fallen back on her old ways. Young and innocent. "Mom...I've missed you..."

Lacy hugged him a little tighter. "I've missed you too. I'll try...to be a better mother from here on out..."

Before Scott could respond, a small spider approached. One of Charlotte's mouthpieces. "It's done. Come see her."