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.