Nic frowned a little, thinking something over briefly before taking off his shoes, socks, and the jacket that had been covering his back as he walked over to the railing.

As soon as he reached the railing he heard the sound of a jet ski starting up. Laurel was just started to navigate out of the docks.

Nic looked around for a little while before getting up onto the railing and diving off.

Laurel heard the splash and turned slightly, slowing down momentarily to see who it was.

As Nic came up out of the water, he somehow managed to keep his orientation as he turned toward the docks.

Laurel paused a moment when she saw Nic but then her anger erupted again and she angled her jet ski for open ocean at top speed.

"Laurel," Nic tried to call over the sound of the jet ski engine, still bobbing in place.

Laurel ignored him, zipping out as fast as she could. She'd only ridden the jet ski with James before... but it couldn't but much different than a motorcycle... right?

Nic didn't try going after her. He watched her go for a minute or two before swimming to the docks.

Turns out, it's different from a motorcycle. Laurel caught a lot of air on a rogue white cap wave and flew off her jet ski. She hit the water pretty hard and wasn't wearing a life jacket, she'd been too angry to remember to grab one.

As soon as Nic saw all that air, he started swimming for Laurel.

Laurel was struggling by the time Nic reached her, her face bobbing in and out of the water as she tried to keep above the waves.

--

Wolfe watched them for another moment from the terrace before going to find Raven.

When Nic saw that Laurel was struggling, he went over to try and help her keep above the water.

Raven was still in the room with all the neonates where Laurel had just been.

Once Laurel recognized Nic she tried to shove him away, "Let" her head bobbed under, "g-go of me!" she sputtered, the fury of betrayal still burning in her eyes.

--

Wolfe walked in and motioned for Raven to follow him.

"I'll let go when help comes," Nic reassured Laurel.

--

A still slightly distraught Raven followed Wolfe.

"N-No!" Laurel said, still struggling hard against him, "B-Bas... tard! Get y..." she dipped under the water, "filthy hands... OFF ME!"

--

Wolfe took him up to the balcony and pointed out at the two forms bobbing in the water, "If he's willing to die for her, he'll fix this," he told Raven calmly.

So Nic let go. "Then you grab onto me," he told her, turning around so she could grab his neck and hold on easily.

--

Raven looked out at them for a moment. "... He has already jumped out of a plane for her," he noted.

"NO!" Laurel shouted as loudly as she could, "I... don't want your help!" she bobbed under for a moment before gasping for air.

--

Wolfe shrugged, "He had a parachute that had a 87% chance of opening. He was telling me to shoot him in the head. I don't miss."

Nic stayed where he was, waiting for Laurel to grab on.

--

Raven raised his eyebrows. "... Only 87%?" he asked before getting back to the topic. "But he actually told you to shoot him?"

Laurel was very set on not grabbing on, even as she started to struggle more for air.

--

Wolfe nodded, focusing back on the two in the water.

As soon as Laurel really started to struggle, Nic turned around and raised her up a bit so she could have a few moments to catch her breath.

--

"Huh..." Raven mused. "... Who's going after them?"

Laurel started hitting him again and as soon as she got her breath she was shouting curses at him as she tried to get free.

--

"No one," Wolfe stated calmly.

When she had enough air to start yelling again, Nic gently put her down to fend for herself again.

--

"Uh..." Raven muttered before turning to run to the docks.

And immediately Laurel was bobbing again. This continued as a cycle for a long while before finally she seemed to be wearing out and slipped all the way under the surface of the water.

--

Wolfe caught Raven's arm, "They'll be fine," he reassured him.

So Nic dove under and pulled Laurel up to the surface again, laying her across his back as he started swimming for the jet ski.

--

Raven still wanted to go, but after another moment or two he sighed and let up. Instead he nervously looked back over the water, watching them.

Laurel didn't fight it anymore, just coughing as she tried to catch her breath. The anger seemed to be fading with her energy.

It took Nic a few minutes, but he managed to get them to the jet skit and flip it upright. "... Can... you climb on?" he asked Laurel. He was getting pretty tired himself.

Laurel didn't respond.

So Nic spent another few minutes dragging them both onto the jet ski. Eventually he managed to pull himself up without Laurel slipping off his back. He laid there for a long time as he caught his breath before adjusting them both for the ride back.

Laurel weakly hugged Nic from behind, "Don't..." Laurel whispered.

Nic glanced down at Laurel, waiting for her to explain before he started the engine up again.

"Don't go back..." Laurel whispered. She couldn't face any one else... not yet. She couldn't see any more sympathetic faces.

So after a little debating, Nic switched on the engine. Figuring someone was watching, he used the break lights to send coordinates of one of the small uninhabited islands - it was the one Rosen had purchased on his drunken buying spree. Then he started driving off toward it.

Laurel held Nic a little tighter as he started off.

--

Wolfe allowed himself a thin smile as he read the coordinates, "They'll figure it out," he confirmed to Raven before turning to leave.

Raven sighed a little. But how long would that take? He watched them for a short moment longer before following after Wolfe.

Wolfe waited until Raven stepped alongside him, "I believe..." he said quietly as they walked, "that David was gay."

--

By the time they reached the island, Laurel was starting to slip off the back of the jet ski and into the water.

Raven glanced at Wolfe before looking in front of himself again.

--

Nic didn't let her fall off. When they stopped, he carried Laurel to the trees before pulling the jet ski onto the land so it wouldn't float away.

"I will continue to believe that... as long as I do, I can allow Nic to stay. Because in that case, his circumstance was similar to Laruel's with her father," Wolfe continued.

--

Laurel cussed at him lightly and when he put her down, she managed to throw some sand at him before collapsing.

"... How so?" Raven asked, not sure if he wanted to know.

--

Nic let Laurel be, grabbing a few basic supplies Rosen had left behind before going to the other side of the small island for the night.

"Nic said... he'd done anything to make David happy," Wolfe said quietly, "Sound familiar?" he asked as they continued to walk.