Fanfic: After the End [Working Title]
This is probably going to be AU, but I can't get this out of my head. Minor spoiler for "Enemies Mine", and definite spoilers for Season 3.
Summary: After everything is over, Rex and Caesar begin to bond again. Then, a suggestion by Rex to cheer Caesar up goes over in a way he didn't expect....
"Hey, Caesar!" Rex entered Caesar's lab unannounced as always.
Things had turned out surprisingly better than Rex could have hoped. Caesar had been almost fatally injured, yes, but he was finally recovered enough to start building himself a new lab. The doctors wanted him to rest and heal a bit more before he got back into things, but Caesar was a Salazar and stubborn. Rex could tell that his brother was slowly being driven mad--madder than usual, anyways--from having to sit still and rest and do nothing of particular interest to him, so it was probably for the best he started early.
"Hello, little brother," Caesar returned the greeting as he looked up from his work, putting up his goggles; his smile was small compared to his old ones, but it was there, and it was real.
Rex had never noticed the differences before--not until Caesar was recovering in the hospital. There simply hadn't been the time. No, that wasn't quite right. He simply hadn't cared to think about the differences much. When he had jumped forward six months, Caesar and everything else had simply been so different that he couldn't comprehend Caesar's thoughts or actions on top of everything else.
But he understood now. Caesar had been working hard to save the world. Driven to fix things. He had told Rex as much, but Rex couldn't believe him--not until it was almost too late.
It physically hurt when Caesar had first woken up in the hospital and had asked why Rex was there in a state of drugged up confusion. No, he hadn't been happy to be alive or even happy to see his brother had stayed by his side. Caesar had been surprised that he hadn't woken up alone, such had their relationship previously deteriorated. The world 'brother', Caesar simply assumed, hadn't meant anything to Rex anymore; Caesar never said it to his face, but Rex knew just from the look in his eyes.
Things improved over time as Caesar recovered. Rex was there when he could be, and he even learned what he could to help with his brother. Simple things at first, such as changing the channel to something interesting when Caesar could stay awake long enough to watch it. Making sure that he had enough pillows. Speaking up when the pain meds were obviously wearing off, and Caesar was too stubborn to say anything. Helping him eat when he was too weak to even hold up his spoon, insisting that he had a nurse show him how to do it. Eventually, just by being there, Rex learned the daytime nurses by name and the daily routine of his brother's care.
It was one of the most boring things that he had ever done in his life, but Holiday had given him a handheld gaming system to keep him company while Caesar was asleep. He hated being in the hospital, but he could leave, and Caesar couldn't. Rex stubbornly stuck it out--stubbornness ran in the family, he guessed.
Over time, Caesar seemed to open up to him again. Rex wasn't sure how to describe it as anything else. It started with a simple gesture--Caesar reaching over to squeeze Rex's forearm when he finally had the strength. Then, it grew into other things; a complaint every now and then, an occasional request for something (usually some horribly boring science journal to read), and even the occasional joke about being in the hospital. As Caesar regained his strength, they began to talk; small conversations at first about day to day things, but eventually they blossomed into stories about their past, punctuated by smiles that grew the more times they spoke. Eventually, even laughter, although more often than not, Caesar's laughs were cut short by a groan of pain. Caesar didn't seem to care too much about that enough to try toning them down, and so Rex didn't worry about it much. The laughter was still rare anyways and not nearly as expressive as before.
For Caesar being weird, Rex found him surprisingly easy to converse with. Was it because they were brothers? Did part of him still remember Caesar from before? He didn't understand it. Either way, it was a relief. Caesar still wanted him in his life despite some of the awful things that he had said to him. Eventually, they talked about that, too. Not much, and not for very long, but enough that something seemed to settle inside of Rex's older brother. It came as a relief to them both when "I love you" escaped from the lips of the first and was returned by the other when the right time came up in conversation.
Guilt was part of why Rex helped with Caesar, and a good part of it, actually, but once again he genuinely wanted to know the man that was his brother. Caesar had almost died saving the world, trying to fix things. Rex had been wrong about him. He wanted to make it up to his older brother, somehow. In fact, he still felt he had to make it up to him, even now with Caesar out of the hospital and well on his way to a full recovery.
It had been close. Rex had nearly lost his brother, one of his last remaining links to his past life, and more importantly, Caesar was family. It was as they said: sometimes you just didn't understand how important something is until you lose it, or nearly lose it, in his case.
Rex didn't know when he'd stop having to make up for it, and even now, he felt like it was still needed. It was why he was here in Caesar's lab. He had an idea. He knew exactly what Caesar needed. Rex remembered how happy Caesar had been at Abuela's.
"Come here to help me with my lab again?" Caesar asked, his smile growing a bit.
"Actually," Rex began, returning the smile naturally. "Dr. Holiday said you'd be up to a road trip."
That was a partial lie. She had probably assumed he was talking about going to the local Taco Factory. Oh, well, it didn't really matter. Abuela would make sure Caesar got the rest he needed once they got there. It was worth getting into trouble if it'd help his brother.
Caesar smile was replaced by a look of curiosity as he turned his full attention to Rex. "A road trip? ... Hmm, I'm not supposed to be driving yet until I'm off my medication."
Rex waved that off, still grinning, "Don't worry--I can fly us there."
"Wouldn't that be a flight instead of a roadtrip?" Caesar asked with a tilt of his head.
The younger Salazar groaned softly, "Don't get hung up on the semantics, bro'." He immediately brightened again although he tried to appear casual about his suggestion. "Anyway, I was thinking we should go to Mexico, visit Abuela, if you're up to it. It's been a while."
Caesar reaction wasn't what he was expecting. The drill he had been using fell from suddenly loose hands, loudly bouncing off of the metal floor. His face was a mask of pain and horror.
Rex immediately knew something was wrong; it took him only a few seconds to know what was wrong. Abuela...
He didn't want to ask the question, but knew he had to; his voice was quiet, barely a whisper, "What happened?"
Caesar looked away, and it was a long moment before he answered in an even quieter voice, "Hunter Cain." Caesar swallowed. "He came back."
Rex's chest felt hollow, but he couldn't breathe. No, no... Not her. Not Abuela. But--
"Federico?" Rex asked weakly.
"Alive," Caesar breathed out. "Most of the others, too. But Abuela--"
The momentary relief was replaced once again by pain, and pain rapidly descended into anger. Anger was easier to feel and hurt less; he could hide behind it, like a shield. Abuela. He hardly knew her, and yet--
His anger sank into his words, but it wasn't directed at Caesar, even if it seemed to be, "Why didn't you tell me?! I could've... could've done something when he escaped Providence's jail!"
"It wouldn't have brought her back, Rex," Caesar voice was raw and painful, like it had when he told Rex he couldn't bring back their parents. "And what could you have done to him? You're not like him, Rex."
"I don't know--something!" Rex turned around and started to pace, suddenly filled with the desire to smash something but finding no easy escape from the pinpricks in the corner of his eyes. "Wiped that smirk off his face! Something better than just letting him rot in jail! He--"
All it took was a choked back sob from Caesar to end Rex's rant before it even got started. Rex's mouth was frozen open, his hand balled into fists, as he turned to look at his brother. Caesar was trembling softly, and his head was bowed and turned away so Rex couldn't see his face.
The anger died away as quickly as he had tried to hide behind it, and all that was left was the ache in Rex's chest as the energy left him. His hands fell loosely to his sides. His vision blurred.
"Caesar..." Rex choked out, and he walked over to him, weak-kneed. "Are you...?"
There was no answer, and after a few moments, Rex walked the last few remaining steps and kneeled, only for Caesar to look away from him further. It didn't help Caesar to hide his face, because Rex could clearly see the reflection in the glass of the monitor across from them. Rex's own face became a mask of pain.
"I didn't attend the funeral, Rex," Caesar suddenly blurted out, almost desperately, voice choking around his words as he continued; Rex's arm found its place around Caesar's shoulders. "I didn't--I couldn't--after Mom and Dad--mijo...."
Not understanding why his brother was so suddenly breaking down, but knowing that Caesar needed him, Rex leaned in and pulled Caesar's side against his chest. Caesar didn't resist it. He closed his eyes against his own tears, feeling them trail down his cheeks. Rex had only met Abuela once that he could remember, and he had loved her then. He swallowed. Caesar remembered her in ways that Rex might never remember.
It had finally hit the breaking point, not that Rex knew. He never knew that was the day Caesar finally let himself begin to grieve, with everything said and done with, now that he had someone by his side. That someone was Rex. He knew that much, and he knew something more that was immediately more horrifying.
Caesar only had him left, not with Rylander gone, too. Rex, his baby brother. No one else. Just Rex.
And Rex was going to make sure that he remained.
"I'm here, hermano."
Summary: After everything is over, Rex and Caesar begin to bond again. Then, a suggestion by Rex to cheer Caesar up goes over in a way he didn't expect....
"Hey, Caesar!" Rex entered Caesar's lab unannounced as always.
Things had turned out surprisingly better than Rex could have hoped. Caesar had been almost fatally injured, yes, but he was finally recovered enough to start building himself a new lab. The doctors wanted him to rest and heal a bit more before he got back into things, but Caesar was a Salazar and stubborn. Rex could tell that his brother was slowly being driven mad--madder than usual, anyways--from having to sit still and rest and do nothing of particular interest to him, so it was probably for the best he started early.
"Hello, little brother," Caesar returned the greeting as he looked up from his work, putting up his goggles; his smile was small compared to his old ones, but it was there, and it was real.
Rex had never noticed the differences before--not until Caesar was recovering in the hospital. There simply hadn't been the time. No, that wasn't quite right. He simply hadn't cared to think about the differences much. When he had jumped forward six months, Caesar and everything else had simply been so different that he couldn't comprehend Caesar's thoughts or actions on top of everything else.
But he understood now. Caesar had been working hard to save the world. Driven to fix things. He had told Rex as much, but Rex couldn't believe him--not until it was almost too late.
It physically hurt when Caesar had first woken up in the hospital and had asked why Rex was there in a state of drugged up confusion. No, he hadn't been happy to be alive or even happy to see his brother had stayed by his side. Caesar had been surprised that he hadn't woken up alone, such had their relationship previously deteriorated. The world 'brother', Caesar simply assumed, hadn't meant anything to Rex anymore; Caesar never said it to his face, but Rex knew just from the look in his eyes.
Things improved over time as Caesar recovered. Rex was there when he could be, and he even learned what he could to help with his brother. Simple things at first, such as changing the channel to something interesting when Caesar could stay awake long enough to watch it. Making sure that he had enough pillows. Speaking up when the pain meds were obviously wearing off, and Caesar was too stubborn to say anything. Helping him eat when he was too weak to even hold up his spoon, insisting that he had a nurse show him how to do it. Eventually, just by being there, Rex learned the daytime nurses by name and the daily routine of his brother's care.
It was one of the most boring things that he had ever done in his life, but Holiday had given him a handheld gaming system to keep him company while Caesar was asleep. He hated being in the hospital, but he could leave, and Caesar couldn't. Rex stubbornly stuck it out--stubbornness ran in the family, he guessed.
Over time, Caesar seemed to open up to him again. Rex wasn't sure how to describe it as anything else. It started with a simple gesture--Caesar reaching over to squeeze Rex's forearm when he finally had the strength. Then, it grew into other things; a complaint every now and then, an occasional request for something (usually some horribly boring science journal to read), and even the occasional joke about being in the hospital. As Caesar regained his strength, they began to talk; small conversations at first about day to day things, but eventually they blossomed into stories about their past, punctuated by smiles that grew the more times they spoke. Eventually, even laughter, although more often than not, Caesar's laughs were cut short by a groan of pain. Caesar didn't seem to care too much about that enough to try toning them down, and so Rex didn't worry about it much. The laughter was still rare anyways and not nearly as expressive as before.
For Caesar being weird, Rex found him surprisingly easy to converse with. Was it because they were brothers? Did part of him still remember Caesar from before? He didn't understand it. Either way, it was a relief. Caesar still wanted him in his life despite some of the awful things that he had said to him. Eventually, they talked about that, too. Not much, and not for very long, but enough that something seemed to settle inside of Rex's older brother. It came as a relief to them both when "I love you" escaped from the lips of the first and was returned by the other when the right time came up in conversation.
Guilt was part of why Rex helped with Caesar, and a good part of it, actually, but once again he genuinely wanted to know the man that was his brother. Caesar had almost died saving the world, trying to fix things. Rex had been wrong about him. He wanted to make it up to his older brother, somehow. In fact, he still felt he had to make it up to him, even now with Caesar out of the hospital and well on his way to a full recovery.
It had been close. Rex had nearly lost his brother, one of his last remaining links to his past life, and more importantly, Caesar was family. It was as they said: sometimes you just didn't understand how important something is until you lose it, or nearly lose it, in his case.
Rex didn't know when he'd stop having to make up for it, and even now, he felt like it was still needed. It was why he was here in Caesar's lab. He had an idea. He knew exactly what Caesar needed. Rex remembered how happy Caesar had been at Abuela's.
"Come here to help me with my lab again?" Caesar asked, his smile growing a bit.
"Actually," Rex began, returning the smile naturally. "Dr. Holiday said you'd be up to a road trip."
That was a partial lie. She had probably assumed he was talking about going to the local Taco Factory. Oh, well, it didn't really matter. Abuela would make sure Caesar got the rest he needed once they got there. It was worth getting into trouble if it'd help his brother.
Caesar smile was replaced by a look of curiosity as he turned his full attention to Rex. "A road trip? ... Hmm, I'm not supposed to be driving yet until I'm off my medication."
Rex waved that off, still grinning, "Don't worry--I can fly us there."
"Wouldn't that be a flight instead of a roadtrip?" Caesar asked with a tilt of his head.
The younger Salazar groaned softly, "Don't get hung up on the semantics, bro'." He immediately brightened again although he tried to appear casual about his suggestion. "Anyway, I was thinking we should go to Mexico, visit Abuela, if you're up to it. It's been a while."
Caesar reaction wasn't what he was expecting. The drill he had been using fell from suddenly loose hands, loudly bouncing off of the metal floor. His face was a mask of pain and horror.
Rex immediately knew something was wrong; it took him only a few seconds to know what was wrong. Abuela...
He didn't want to ask the question, but knew he had to; his voice was quiet, barely a whisper, "What happened?"
Caesar looked away, and it was a long moment before he answered in an even quieter voice, "Hunter Cain." Caesar swallowed. "He came back."
Rex's chest felt hollow, but he couldn't breathe. No, no... Not her. Not Abuela. But--
"Federico?" Rex asked weakly.
"Alive," Caesar breathed out. "Most of the others, too. But Abuela--"
The momentary relief was replaced once again by pain, and pain rapidly descended into anger. Anger was easier to feel and hurt less; he could hide behind it, like a shield. Abuela. He hardly knew her, and yet--
His anger sank into his words, but it wasn't directed at Caesar, even if it seemed to be, "Why didn't you tell me?! I could've... could've done something when he escaped Providence's jail!"
"It wouldn't have brought her back, Rex," Caesar voice was raw and painful, like it had when he told Rex he couldn't bring back their parents. "And what could you have done to him? You're not like him, Rex."
"I don't know--something!" Rex turned around and started to pace, suddenly filled with the desire to smash something but finding no easy escape from the pinpricks in the corner of his eyes. "Wiped that smirk off his face! Something better than just letting him rot in jail! He--"
All it took was a choked back sob from Caesar to end Rex's rant before it even got started. Rex's mouth was frozen open, his hand balled into fists, as he turned to look at his brother. Caesar was trembling softly, and his head was bowed and turned away so Rex couldn't see his face.
The anger died away as quickly as he had tried to hide behind it, and all that was left was the ache in Rex's chest as the energy left him. His hands fell loosely to his sides. His vision blurred.
"Caesar..." Rex choked out, and he walked over to him, weak-kneed. "Are you...?"
There was no answer, and after a few moments, Rex walked the last few remaining steps and kneeled, only for Caesar to look away from him further. It didn't help Caesar to hide his face, because Rex could clearly see the reflection in the glass of the monitor across from them. Rex's own face became a mask of pain.
"I didn't attend the funeral, Rex," Caesar suddenly blurted out, almost desperately, voice choking around his words as he continued; Rex's arm found its place around Caesar's shoulders. "I didn't--I couldn't--after Mom and Dad--mijo...."
Not understanding why his brother was so suddenly breaking down, but knowing that Caesar needed him, Rex leaned in and pulled Caesar's side against his chest. Caesar didn't resist it. He closed his eyes against his own tears, feeling them trail down his cheeks. Rex had only met Abuela once that he could remember, and he had loved her then. He swallowed. Caesar remembered her in ways that Rex might never remember.
It had finally hit the breaking point, not that Rex knew. He never knew that was the day Caesar finally let himself begin to grieve, with everything said and done with, now that he had someone by his side. That someone was Rex. He knew that much, and he knew something more that was immediately more horrifying.
Caesar only had him left, not with Rylander gone, too. Rex, his baby brother. No one else. Just Rex.
And Rex was going to make sure that he remained.
"I'm here, hermano."