January Writing Challenge: Timing is Everything

[Sean *]

It's writing challenge time! To enter, just post a ficlet (300-4000 words suggested) in this thread. When the voting for this month's OTM winners comes around, a voting poll will go up for this as well.

The Challenge: Look back at your time on Hammel. Choose an IC moment (written or implied) that was important to your character development and which had, or avoided, far-reaching consequences. Now imagine if that decision was altered. What would happen? Write it. Would things get better? Would things be worse? Stipulate the moment that your story is addressing.

The rules:

• Characters must be in Hammel canon, but the ficlets are, by the very nature of the challenge, not canon.
  
• Entries must be more than 300 words.
  
• You can enter no more than three ficlets. Any ficlets posted after the original 3 will not be considered for voting. If you want to post more, however, have fun.
  
• Ficlets should be linked to the thread that inspired them, if such a thread exists. If it does not, please explain the implied canon moment so we can follow along.

[Cynthia DeMato]

((In this fic, the one change is that Barbara decides to audition at La Maison Magnifique. As a result, Cynthia is ultimately passed up for the promotion to manager when the previous manager retires, and all things change from there. Why don’t you have a look?))

The Madame and the Shopkeeper

Interstate 89 was always empty around midnight. Families were safe in their beds, commuters had long since arrived home for dinner, and most truckers in it for the long-haul were already hauled off further down south. This meant it was a quiet ride for Barbara Robinson, who sat comfortably in the back of a black sedan as it sped freely down the highway. A black mink coat kept her warm in the chilly car, and she clutched a little black purse which blended into her dress of the same color. Her head was turned to the side, watching street lamps and road signs as they passed quickly by.

Barbara didn’t normally take nighttime trips, but this one was on a whim: it was the holidays, and she had been invited to a lavish party down in the Hamptons hosted by a wealthy donor she had met last year at a Democratic National Convention gala. She used to spend her holidays with family, who lived just outside her resident city of Pilot Ridge, but ever since she had hit it big as the new madame of La Maison Magnifique, she found that she had less and less in common with her kin. And so she decided to spend Christmas with her family of choice.

She had chosen to drive at night not only for lack of traffic, but because she enjoyed the night. It was where she felt safest and most secure, as it was at night when she performed and at night when she got paid. Night had always been good to her. So when she’d received the short-notice invite earlier that evening, she’d decided to leave that same night. At this rate, they would be at the Hamptons by morning, and she would have plenty of time to rest up and get changed for the party.

The only problem, which occurred to her in stages, was hunger. She hadn’t eaten since that evening, and now that it was midnight, she was feeling peckish.

One of the highway signs coming up advertised a rest stop, including some places to eat Barbara wagered just might be open this time of night. “Robert, let’s stop here,” she called into the front seat, receiving a nod of affirmation in the rearview mirror.

A few moments later, the black sedan was pulling into a parking space, and Barbara was climbing out of the car. Looking around, she found a building with the lights still on and, heading up towards it, read the sign:

‘LA GLACE GLAMOUREUX’

French. A bit odd for a roadside joint, but Barbara was willing to indulge it. After all, as owner of La Maison Magnifique, she had gotten used to Americans’ fetishism of all things French.

Opening the glass door, she walked in under a tiny ringing bell and peered around. The place was decorated to the nines with all things French and kitsch: tabletop statues of overly thin ballerinas, Le Chat Noir posters, and vases full of baguettes she believed to be made of plastic. It was a bit much, but Barbara rather liked it.

Anchoring the store, however, was a long glass bar that displayed all sorts of different flavors of ice cream, from mainstays like chocolate and vanilla to more interesting combinations like chocolate hazelnut and bananas foster. Lining the bar were red velvet stools that were not unlike those which could be found at her own establishment. Beyond the bar was a window into what looked like a kitchen.

“Hey,” came a feminine but assertive voice from the other side of that window. “Be with you in just a second.”

“Take your time,” Barbara replied, peering through the window to see the woman on the other side. They looked to be about the same age – perhaps the other woman was older – but she couldn’t make out more than that. In the meantime, she helped herself to a seat at the bar, taking a moment to look at the assortment of offerings in the display case below.

A moment later, a pair of double doors opened to reveal the woman whose face Barbara hadn’t quite been able to make out previously. Now that she could get a clearer look, it was more apparent this woman was older, perhaps as much as ten years so. She looked worse for wear, as well: her thin frame and tired face was a startling contrast against Barbara’s full-bodied exterior and made-up façade.

“Thanks for waiting,” the woman said, wiping her hands onto her white apron.

“No problem,” Barbara replied, spending more time looking at their surroundings than at the woman to whom she was speaking. “I’m glad you’re still open; I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find any place at this hour.”

The woman shrugged as she placed a napkin and spoon down before Barbara. “Wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else,” she replied. “See anything you like?”

Barbara looked back down into the display case. “Uh, yeah, I’ll have some of that there mocha ice cream,” she replied. “Please.”

“Got caffeine in it,” the owner mentioned as she opened up her side of the display case; she normally wouldn’t bother with that detail, but it was late enough that some might not want such a thing.

“Even better,” Barbara replied with a smile.

“So where’re you from?” the woman asked as she set a metal bowl filled with three scoops of ice cream down in front of her customer. “Don’t think I’ve seen you before.” She had a steady stream of regulars, mostly folks who took this highway frequently and liked to come in for a sandwich or a sundae. Random visitors, however, were not uncommon, and in fact one-time visitors were a large part of her business.

“Pilot Ridge,” Barbara answered, dipping her spoon into the ice cream and lifting it to her lips. It was while she was busy with her first taste that the woman behind the counter let a brief frown pass through her features. “Mmm, this is good,” she remarked as she prepared to take a second bite.

“Thanks,” the woman said, watching her customer as she took another spoonful. “I used to live in Pilot Ridge, you know.”

Barbara’s eyes lit up, and she let her spoon come back down to the bowl. “Oh yeah?” She asked, looking up at her server with interest.

“Yeah,” came the response. “I used to, but…”

“Not anymore?” Barbara reasoned.

“No, not anymore,” the older woman responded, wiping her hands again on her apron. “I, uh… had a falling out with my boss and quit town.”

Barbara nodded; she didn’t know anything about that, but it sounded reasonable enough. “Well, hey, you got all this now,” she offered, gesturing towards the restaurant around them. “I mean, it must’ve been worth it, right?”

The woman gave a small smile. “What about you?” she asked, leaning one elbow down on the bar. “What’s your story?”

Barbara had taken another spoonful of ice cream, and she let herself finish her bite before responding. “Oh, well, I run one of the clubs in town,” she answered, putting her spoon down once more. “La Maison Magnifique,” she added, with a smile. “French.”

The face of the shopkeeper fell, though Barbara didn’t notice. “Oh,” she replied, pausing for a moment before continuing. “I think I’ve heard of that.”

Barbara smiled; she liked to hear that people knew of the House. “Yeah, Busty Barbara they used to call me,” she mused aloud with a laugh. “Now I’m running the place.”

“I thought that place was owned by Chloe… Singleton,” the woman replied.

“Oh, Chloe?” Barbara asked, taking another bite. “No, she up and married. Left the House just a few months after taking over. That’s when they promoted me.”

“I see…”

The question interested Barbara; this woman must have known more than a little about the House to have known one of the owners. “Say, what’d you say your name was?”

“Cynthia,” the woman answered quickly, and now that it was spoken, she was intent on leaving the conversation at that. “Listen, I’m closing up soon, so I’m going to go back and finish up some cleaning I have,” she replied.

Barbara was a bit surprised, but unsuspicious due to the hour. “Oh, okay,” she said with a nod. “Merry Christmas, if I don’t see ya.”

“Merry Christmas,” Cynthia replied with a single nod, and Barbara watched as she disappeared back through the big double doors and into the kitchen.

She peered in through the window, but couldn’t see her.

Inside the kitchen, Cynthia DeMato stood still as a statue, taking a moment to gather herself. She could scarcely believe what had just happened–that the Pilot Ridge Madame had just come waltzing into her little shop and stuck in her face exactly what her own life could have been. And then to ask her about her own life… Cynthia had felt it necessary to step away, lest she be made to say more than she was comfortable. She didn’t want to talk about how she’d come to open La Glace Glamoureux. She didn’t want to talk about how she used to dance at the House, and how she’d been next in line for that management position until Rose had chosen Chloe over her because she’d disagreed over whether a woman of Barbara’s size belonged onstage. She didn’t want to talk about the fact that if she’d just stayed around a little longer, until Chloe had left, she likely would have been named new owner, and then she would have been the one wearing big fur coats and being driven around by a chauffeur and enjoying lavish parties. She didn’t want to talk about how terribly old she felt, and how seeing Barbara’s plump, youthful presence made her feel even older.

Back in the front of the store, Barbara was finishing up her ice cream, licking the last drop off her spoon before letting it fall into the bowl. It had been delicious, just the snack she had needed to tide her over until morning. She reached into her little black purse, producing a ten dollar bill and placing it down on the counter. Pausing a moment to see whether Cynthia might reemerge from the kitchen, she ultimately got up off the stool and, after taking a moment to look around the place one more time, exited the building. Sliding back into the black sedan, she pulled the seatbelt taut over her breast before leaning towards the front seat. “I’m ready, Robert,” she said, and the black sedan started up, driving back towards Interstate 89 and away from La Glace Glamoureux.

For the rest of the ride to the Hamptons, Barbara thought about how it might be nice to open up an ice cream shop of her own someday.

[Chester Douglas]

The Thread

It had been a passing joke. He didn't mean it and he was sure she didn't expect anything of it. But it had haunted the telepath since that day. He had proposed to Lucy Serrano and she said yes. He had promised her a ring and there he was, browsing the jewelry store with his eldest sister who kept looking at him curiously.

"Will you please stop staring at me that way." Chester requested without even looking at her. Helen Douglas pursed her lips in amusement, caught in the act by her little brother. "I can't help it, love. You're buying an engagement ring."

He finally turned his head towards his sister with a raised eyebrow. "So I am. Which is why you're here. You're a woman, you're married so you have experience." He said factually, although he knew exactly why she was voicing her thoughts.

"Chessy," Helen raised her own eyebrow, matching his perfectly. She no doubt already knew he understood.

"She's not pregnant, we're not trying to defy any odds and we're not trying to kill ourselves. It's just a promise I wish to fulfill." He shrugged and beckoned for the saleswoman to bring out one simple white gold band with an infinity sign in the middle encrusted with tiny diamonds.

"You've got yourself a good eye already, brother. Are you sure this is your first time buying a ring to fulfill a promise?" Helen's voice dripped with sarcasm and Chester couldn't help but smirk. He looked at her and showed her the ring with a quizzical look. She appraised it and looked at Chester, wondering if he knew exactly what he was getting himself into.

"It's beautiful, Chest."

"I know what I'm doing, Helen." Chester's smile softened and with that, Helen gave back the ring and shrugged ever so slightly. "Of course you do." She responded as she watched the saleswoman bring out a dark blue velvet box.

-

Approaching Lucy the very next day, Chester found himself with doubts. It was rarely, if ever, that he questioned himself when it came to his own decisions. It was such a strange sensation as he sat down in front of Lucy at their usual table and produced the box.

"As promised. No backing out now."

Lucy looked to the box and then up to Chester.

"You're fucking with me, right?"

[Idalia Tsavaris]

Explanation: In this case out of college instead of going straight into graduate school Idalia takes a job during a year off as the meteorology on a merchant ship.

Dean

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I can always come back to graduate school, I just… I don’t know I guess I want to live a little bit before I commit to more school,” Idalia replied.

Dr. Anuja smiled warmly. “Well, you’ve done well and I know that you can get in anywhere you apply. If you choose to return here I will fund you. It has been a joy, Idalia.”

“Thank you, Dr. Anuja,” Idalia said her eyes tearing as she smiled at the elderly Indian man who had directed her life and picked her up when she was suffering from self doubt. “I’ll miss you.” He rose and Idalia rose with him. He extended a hand to her and she took it giving him a one armed hug. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

He laughed and smiled at her. “You would have done fine without me. I’m here to help you but only you could succeed for yourself.”

“Look for my application,” Idalia said with a smile.

“Good luck.”

Graduation from college had been an amazing experience. Lifelong friends were said farewell to and promises to keep in touch were formulated. Her closest ties were those in Meteorology who would come in handy as connection as they would all eventually call each other up for help and quite possibly jobs.

About a week after Idalia had sobered from the parties she was packed and her apartment cleared. She traveled home for a few months. Then she finally got a call. June 1st. Idalia packed a duffel and drove east. She looked up at the small merchant vessel.

Looking at the slip of paper in her hand she realized with a touch of fear that this was going to be the hardest summer job she’d ever done. Oh well, she was enthusiastic about using her power and her skills to keep herself and the crew safe. She stepped up the gang plank and when a young man approached her she smiled.

“Hi, I’m Idalia, meteorologist.” She held out her page and the man took it and quickly examined it. He was tanned and weathered from years aboard.

“Welcome to the Siren, Ms. Te… S…?”

“Tsavaris,” Idalia supplied with a smile.

“Right, welcome Ms. Idalia,” he replied. Ida hid a smile. “I’m David, I’m acting as Captain…”

“But I thought I was supposed to be working with Captain Allan Hathor.”

“Captain Allan Hawthorne is on sick leave, I am David Hathor and he’s put me in charge,” he said and crossed his arms. Ida covered her mouth and let out a little ‘oh’. “And first rule of the sea is that my word is law.”

Idalia nodded solemnly, “Yes, sorry, Captain.”

He surprised her with a smile. “Good, let me show you to your quarters. Have you ever sailed before?” He asked as he led her below deck.

Idalia ducked under a low hanging beam. “Um… only for a dolphin watching trip.”

“So you just up and decided you were gonna come sailing?”

Ida smiled and nodded, “Yep.”

“Nope.”

“Nope?”

“Nope,” he paused at a door and turned to face her. “If you’re thinking this is gonna be like some sort of cruise line you’re sadly mistaken.”

Idalia rose to her full height. “I’m here to work, Captain.”

He grunted and knocked on the door. It opened shortly. “Hey Maria,” David said, “This is Idalia, she’s the fresh meat on board.” With that he turned and left.

Idalia crossed her arms as she watched him go and glared at his back. A chuckle from her side caught her attention. “He takes a little getting used to, honey, come in and I’ll help you get set up.” Idalia entered and set her bags down on the free bunk. “We share rooms, usually it’s four to a room but we’re lucky cause we’re ladies so we get our own space. There’s a desk for you, I know you’re gonna do more chart upstairs but if you need it I’ll give it to you cause I don’t use it.”

“Thank you,” Ida said and held out her hand, “I’m Idalia.”

“Maria,” she shook her hand. “I hear you’re the new Meteorologist. That’s a tough job. I’ll show you around a bit but before I do I wanna give you a little bit of advice.” Idalia nodded and Maria continued, “You’re a pretty girl, watch yourself when you’re on deck. You should be safe enough here, the mess hall and in the navigation room but well… It tends to get into a bit of a sausage fest out here.”

Idalia nodded as it dawned on her what she was being warned about. She felt a twinge of fear. She was with this boat all summer, she didn’t know what would happen if something happened.

“Don’t worry, honey, you’ve got me and the Captain doesn’t take lightly to people harassing others. Now c’mon, I’ll show you a bit of the ropes.”

Idalia worked hard to earn her keep, the Captain never seemed pleased with her work though he seemed to heed her more often than not. They avoided tropical storms Barry and Chantal easily enough and steered clear of bad waves and made their first stop in Cuba. Their next destination was Costa Rica.

As Idalia looked over the charts from the National Hurricane Center her worry grew as she watched the disturbance far near the shore of Africa. “Hey,” a voice called startling her out of her work.

She looked up at the Captain and breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh you scared me, what can I do for you?”

He smiled sweetly. “Well, um, do you… well.”

“I’m kinda looking at projected hurricane routes at the moment,” Idalia said, blinking in confusion. She shrugged and turned back to the maps while she waited for her Captain to actually need something. She was suddenly aware that he was very close behind her. His hand came around her shoulder and covered the spot on the map she was looking. Well now he had her attention.

“You work too much.”

“It’s my job,” Idalia relied annoyed and flicked his hand but it didn’t move.

David backed off a bit and touched her shoulder. “Idalia, come ashore with me. We’ve only got a few more days here before we shove off. I want you to see this place.”

Idalia turned and blushed at his close proximity. “O… okay,” she finally replied.

His smile widened and he tugged at her hand. She giggled as he handed her a small flower he plucked from a nearby bush. She made a large show of sniffing the little petals.

“Did you always want to be a ship captain?” Idalia asked one hand holding her shoes and another fitting easily into his hand as they strolled the beach following dinner.

David shrugged and looked out to the sea. “I don’t know, I mean my dad used to say that the ocean was people’s mother, I guess I never knew anything else. Did you always want to be a meteorologist?”

Idalia smiled, “Yeah, it’s always been a part of me. The more I learn about it the more fascinating it becomes.”

“I wish I knew more about the ocean,” David said and stopped unexpectedly causing Idalia to overshoot. She shifted easily to stand and look out at the dark waves.

“I took a few oceanography classes, but nothing can compare to the real thing.”

David looked down at her. “Is that why you took this job?”

Idalia shrugged. “I suppose it is. It’s fate to sit behind a desk once grad school starts. I guess I wanted to live while I still could.”

“You could always do this.”

“I couldn’t. I’m really enjoying it, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t know I want to keep learning.”

“I’d like it if you’d stay.”

Idalia blinked shocked and her face flamed, “Oh… you…”

He didn’t reply just gave her an alluring smile and the night was theirs. Idalia hated to admit that in their short few days strolling the beach and exploring Cuba she was starting to fall for David. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t get tied to anyone out here. Looks like love told her another thing.

The last night ashore Idalia slept soundly next to David and her dreams mimicked the rising and falling of waves. Slowly they became larger and angrier. The sky darker and deadlier. Then the storm arrived. There was screaming and the boat rose only to plummet twenty feet into a trough and a wave would crash over the bow. Lightning was everywhere and the roar of the wind and waves was so loud it drown out the screaming.

Idalia woke with a gasp. “David,” she said, “David!” She repeated shaking her companion awake.

“S’matter?” He asked sleepily.

“David, we have to stay in port for a few more days.”

That woke him. “What? What are you talking about?”

“There’s a hurricane, it’s coming right across our path, or we across it’s… oh it doesn’t matter we can’t cross it.”

“You’re dreaming go back to sleep.” He turned over and did just that.

Idalia rose, she had to get proof if he was going to believe her. She worked through the night and radioed back and forth with the National Hurricane Center to get more information. It was now Hurricane Dean and joyously it was currently a Category 4 and was projected to increase to a Category 5 before making landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula, right where they were going to be traveling.

The next morning she entered the meeting room without knocking startling Captain David and the other crew members who were bent over maps. “We have to stay a few days longer.” She laid the maps on the table. “We cannot leave today.”

David looked at the maps. Another man, the financial adviser looked at them as well. “If we leave any later we’ll be late and we’ll lose money.” The adviser said.

“If we leave now we might not make any money.” Idalia retorted.

He snorted, “What does a girl like you know about the ocean and money? I’m sure you’ve never even had so much as a broken nail.” The men around him laughed and Idalia flushed with rage.

“We are not leaving,” she said looking at the Captain. He looked at her and then at the chuckling men.

“That’s not your call to make,” David said.

Idalia blinked in shock, “Look at the damn maps! We’re heading straight into it! We are staying.”

“God Idalia, just because I fucked you doesn’t mean you get to act like you own this ship.”

Idalia gaped, stunned into silence. She looked at the men who were poorly hiding their laughter and crude gestures. She snatched her charts, she had to try. She swallowed. “Look…”

“Stop. My word is law, we’re leaving. Now.”

Idalia glared and turned from the room and quickly broke into a run when she heard laughter behind her. She slammed the door and Maria quickly came to assess the situation as Idalia flung herself onto the bed and sobbed. A knock at the door came as they shoved off. Maria answered it opening it only a crack so Idalia couldn’t see who it was, or she supposed so whoever it was couldn’t see her.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you,” Maria said.

“Please… tell her I’m sorry,” David said.

Maria laughed, “You know I don’t think I will. Really David, what would your father say?” Idalia didn’t hear the answer but Maria replied, “I don’t care if you’re the Captain or if your buddies think it’s uncool for women to be strong. Your father listened to Meteorology above all. Speaking of, since it seems you’ve condemned us to death I suppose I’m not speaking to you either.”

Maria slammed the door and retreated back to Idalia. “Shhh, honey, it’ll be alright, maybe that storm won’t hit us, or maybe our boneheaded Captain will come to his senses."

No such luck, the ship soon began to rock and people were starting to talk. People were scared, she had since returned to the map room and started trying to figure out how to save everyone. The Captain didn’t come to see her, which was probably a good idea because Idalia couldn’t think of anything other than what she was going to say and do to him when he did.

Finally Idalia got a sign she couldn’t ignore. Another vision. She knocked on the meeting room and when she was bid to enter she was determined not to leave the same way. Captain, there is still time. I am advising you to turn back.” She met his gaze with cold eyes.

“The waves are only a bit choppy, how bad could it be? We’re a fast ship, we’ll outrun it no problem,” the financial adviser answered.

“Because you graduated with a Meteorology degree, please tell me more,” Idalia replied icily. She turned back to the Captain. “Turn back now.”

“We can outrun it, we’ve done it before.”

Idalia slammed her maps on the table. “Turn back now or this ship is doomed.”

“You don’t know that.”

Idalia sighed. “For the love of God! Are you all so blind by your masculinity you can’t function your ears either? I saw it, I’m a meta human and I have visions. We will hit that storm.”

“She’s crazy,” one man laughed.

“Too much sea water,” another mock whispered.

“Listen to me!” Idalia screamed “Hurricane Dean is going to be a Category 5.”

“We’re staying course.” Captain David said.

“Then everyone on this ship is going to die!” Idalia whirled away and warned Maria and others in the crew to remain below. They couldn’t. As Dean rose overhead they had to do more work to keep everyone alive and to keep the ship from capsizing.

Idalia clung to a rail as she shouted her power giving her clues to what is happening. If it was scary in her vision now it was terrifying. The boat pitched and the wind howled like a living thing. Thunder cracked overhead as lightning laced the air. Waves crashed over the boat and several times the entire bow was underwater. Idalia didn’t know how they managed to stay afloat.

A hand grabbed her arm. “Idalia!” The Captain called over the storm. “I’m sorry! Help me!”

Idalia knew it wasn’t the time but she was still furious with him. “Why don’t you go ask your other Meteorologist?! He’s got a dick, obviously he knows more than me!”

“Idalia! Please!”

“I told you!” She bellowed.

Soaked through with rain Captain David reached for her. “Idalia I’m sorry! I wanted to listen! But I can’t… I…” He reached forward and kissed her.

She bit him. “Fuck you!”

He wiped blood from his lip and Idalia felt a sick sense of satisfaction. “You said everyone will die! Help me!”

Idalia felt guilty and growled. “Fine.” She followed him inside and the maps were already hanging in the navigation room. “Where are we?”

He pointed and she matched their position with the Hurricane Dean. “Can we outrun it?”

“No you idiot! It’s a Hurricane!” She whirled at David and prodded his chest. “If you want to survive this you do exactly what I say. Understood. My word is law.”

“Y-yes,” he stuttered and Idalia turned back to the maps satisfied.  They were headed due south at the moment which would lead them through the right and left front quadrants of the storm, they were already in the right front quadrant, the worst of them.  If they tracked opposite the slightly northwest storm track they might be able to blast through.  Might.

“We need to turn eight degrees south of east and plow our way through. It’ll get worse but we’ll break through into the eye. Once we’re there set the course… East south east through the thinnest back quadrant of the storm.”

“I’m on it.”

Idalia watched from behind glass as they plowed through waves, she was pretty sure there were moments where the motor wasn’t even in the water for they paused and lurched several times. She clung to the wall and watched. More than once she thought they were goners.  Waves crashed over the ship and the ship tipped in stomach lurching angles but somehow managed to right itself each time.  She was only praying that before they met the eyewall they wouldn't meet the one that did manage to capsize them.  Already cargo was being swept off the sides and crew members struggling to handle them were in danger of doing the same.

Sooner than she thought the ship emerged into sunlight.  “That was easy,” David commented.

“You’re an idiot,” Idalia replied, “Set course for thirty degrees south of east and keep plowing.”

“But we’re in the clear.”

“What did I say?”

“Right sorry.” He set the ship’s course and they soon approached the southeast eyewall. Idalia took a moment to nerd out and looked up the eye to the blue sky beyond. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She watched Dean’s eyewall rise and it took her breath away.

“Take cover, we’re almost out.” She called to the crew below. With that she went back inside and stood next to David watching the storm approach again.

“You’re crazy we’re gonna head right back into it!” David yelled.

Idalia slapped a hand into her forehead. “Have you never seen a hurricane? Ugh nevermind! They are circles, this is the safest way. Go!”

The back left quadrant was the least severe of all of the quadrants and she was hoping they would be able to shoot out behind it. Be it the weakest, it was by no means weak. It raged and she clung to the ship and prayed for the Lord to deliver the ship to safety.

The waves stayed rough but the sun broke through the spiral rainbands and there was celebrating on deck. David whooped with joy and turned taking Idalia in a hug. He lifted her and spun her around.

Idalia was not amused and when he set her down she shoved him away. “Good job, Captain.”

“Idalia, I’m…”

“Stop.” She held up a hand to stop him. “I don’t want to hear what you have to say.” Idalia turned to leave.

David grabbed her wrist and Idalia spun her fist striking at him. He stopped it easily. “Please, Idalia.”

Idalia glared at him. “Let me go. I’ll finish this tour but when we get back to the States I’m done.”

He let go and Idalia stalked to the door. She paused at the door and turned back at David. He looked like a sad puppy. “Oh, by the way,” she said and he turned his eyes to her. She saw veiled hope and there was a chill in her heart that just made her want to crush it. “I’ve had better.” She looked down at his groin suggestively and disappeared out the door.

[Lani Hunter]

Explanation: The original situation is that Lani's boss is arrested and Lani is called upon to testify. He chooses to testify (this is an event that hasn't been written yet but is timestamped in character to have taken place in December 2013.) In this case Lani's chosen not to testify and helps his boss escape prison and continues to be a criminal. I've also chosen to include a little on the progress of the decision to show the choices that were made after Odion left.

World Weaver

Lani’s heart thumped as he sat in a chair in the waiting room. An older man with a bald head and a dark complexion sat across from him nibbling on the tip of a pen as he examined a crossword. His leg bounced nervously as he waited for his turn.

Over his shoulder he heard a laugh from a young kid with little wings on his feet as he gleefully spun without touching the ground, Lani could hardly see his face for he was changing constantly, tall then taller, courageous then foolish. Another man sat his head in his hands a tattoo obscured on his shoulder with his shirt. He shifted often and tilted his head now and again his eyes traveling to check a sound that no one else could hear.

A pair of friends sat back to back on the floor one in white looked off at the tile and another in black looked up at the ceiling. They seemed so close and yet worlds apart. Lani looked out the window at the world mixed so well and elaborate that one world melted with another. Lani wondered if this was where he had come to die. Some people looked active and alive, others were stagnant and dull.

Across from the door stood a strong woman tall and fierce with hair like fire and eyes that burned with determination. She had a spear in her hand and with it she stood strongly. Behind her a creature that Lani could not fully describe for it moved in and out of focus as though by its pure thought it was changing. The woman knew her fate and stood strong and proud with her beast. With her came an army, she was new.

There were fliers and crawlers, there were those in pain and elation and numbness. So many people so many faces, some were drawn with such detail that Lani could see the individual wrinkles from where he sat at the window, others were shapes who had eyes and lips but there was nothing distinguished about them. It was as though they were the infants of imagination and the wrinkled were the aged and mature ideas who had yet to find a place other than this little world they called home.

The door opened and a young woman with bright eyes and a bushel of brown hair emerged. “She’ll see you now,” she said a smile on her face as if something good had just happened.

Lani looked at the man across from him. He lifted his eyes from his crossword and the thick man with the tattoo rose in half hope and seeing Lani threw his hands and walked past the pair on the ground. Lani paused watching after him as he went. They all existed here but Lani knew that this man was not of his world. The dark man, the young woman, the winged boy, they were of his world. He could name them. The others. They were unknown to him. All existing in this one line that intersected their planes. This one place they all came to live or die.

With a gulp Lani stepped through the door and closed it behind him. “Lani, sit,” the voice said behind the desk. The room was lighted but the figure was hooded and her face masked by a veil that reflected binary lines one after another the gold ones mixed with silver zeros.

He sat and looked at the figure. He knew she was female, they all knew she was female but unlike the newly formed ideas she was whole and she was the center of their planes. She existed outside of space and time, she was their weaver and the decider of their fate. Other than her gender and her soul Lani knew nothing of the World Weaver.

The World Weaver didn’t speak and Lani squirmed in his seat uncomfortable with the amount of scrutiny over his features. It was like the weight of the world was resting as she examined him. She could make his world bright and she could swipe him out with a word. It had happened before and he had been here as the tattooed man, waiting and hoping that she would call his name and he would be again alive. He hadn’t been idle in that time, he had changed several times, he’d been old and he had been young but he had always been Lani. He knew that there was a memorial for those like him. It was said that she visited their often, rumor has it that occasionally a tear is shed as she breathes the memory of one of them back to life.

Finally the figure shifted. “You’ve been through a lot. How do you feel?”

Lani closed his eyes and shook his head. How did he feel? He’d failed. Again. Odion was gone and Lani’s life was spiraling into nothingness. “Lonely,” he heard his voice say. There were no secrets with the World Weaver.

“You miss him, I miss him too,” she said an air of sadness in her voice that echoed over something that she knew and he was not allowed to know.

Lani looked at the shifting veil. “Can you fix it?”

She shook her head. “I cannot, but if you would like to we can move forward.”

He nodded.

“It won’t be easy. I can’t make it easier.”

“I know,” Lani said firmly with a nod of his head. Anything was better than being a memorandum again.

The World Weaver knew it all. “I’m sorry about that, I don’t want that to happen again.”

“I was worried,” Lani said honestly, “I was worried for all of us.”

She nodded. “I’m worried too. No one knows what the future may hold.”

“Don’t you?” Lani asked perplexed.

He was sure he heard a little bit of a laugh. “I know no more of myself than you do of yourself.”

Lani blinked not understanding. “What do we do?”

“What do you want to do?”

“I want to be stronger.”

“You’re already strong.”

“But I’m so broken.”

“You’re not the most broken.”

“Who is?” Lani asked.

“No one,” the World Weaver replied.

“I…” Lani paused and took a moment to think, the woman would wait, he knew. “I want to accomplish something more than just being a thief. I want to control my power.”

“It will be a long road, are you willing to put in the work?”

“I am.” Lani replied.

The World Weaver shifted and he could feel her penetrating gaze even as he couldn’t see her eyes. “The key to forward motion is letting go of the past. Leroy Brown will be arrested and you will be called upon to testify. What will you do?”

“Won’t you tell me?”

“It’s not my decision to make.”

Fear laced through Lani’s heart, if he testified then everyone would know how terrible he really was. He slowly took the time and planned each path with his fingers and he knew where each would lead but when he tried to move toward one or the other a road block arose. Finally he weight the options both ways, with so many variables it came down to fear. She said he was strong, he could make his own decisions, she was showing him that. He shook his head. He would not testify.

“Very well.” She said and she turned from him. Lani swallowed that was it. He rose and went to the door. Had he made the right decision? He glanced around the room and his eyes fell on the boy with winged feet. “She will see you now,” he said. With that he exited.


~~~~~~

Lani swallowed, he’d made his decision and here he was. There was no going back. As soon as Dr. Neville had given him the means to get out of captivity he had bolted. There was no way he was going to go back to that world. A world where he was behind bars. Now there was only one thing to do.

He knocked nervously on her door. He had a bag slung over his shoulder. Nothing could make Lani feel more terrible than what he was going to tell his best friend now. Adrianna opened her door and her initial smile vanished when she saw his face.

“Lani, what’s wrong?” She drew him into the room and Lani glanced around looking for any sort of danger.

He hastily told her how he had been arrested and how his boss was also arrested.

“That’s great Lani,” she said, he was sure she was relieved that her kidnapper was finally behind bars.

He shook his head, “If I testify I’m going to prison.” He was sure of that fact, despite their efforts to tell him otherwise, he would rather trust the thieves than the feds. He gave her a tight hug. “I have to go Adrianna. I have to. I-I… I don’t have a choice. I don’t want to leave.”

“Lani, don’t,” Adrianna said pushing him away. Tears pricked at her eyes. “You said you’d never leave me.”

Lani took her hands and held onto them tightly, not allowing her to pull away from him. “Adrianna…”

“No! There has to be another way!”

He shook his head. “I can’t go back.” He’d kinda assaulted a police officer and well jail was the only place he was headed.

“No, no, Lani listen to me,” she pleaded, “You can go back. Apologize, you can testify, you can end this.”

Lani shook. “No. No I can’t. God. Adrianna I’m so sick of these rules. I’m so sick of the fear. I’ve gotta… I’ve gotta try.”

“You can’t, you’ll be caught, you’ll die!”

“I have to take that risk! To long I’ve lived in fear…” Lani’s heart squeezed, “Too long I’ve been afraid of losing love. Adrianna if that’s love then it comes at far too high a cost! I’m not going back to that! You can’t stop me.”

Adrianna looked at him, that look in her eyes that made his entire world break around him. He took up her hand again. “Adrianna. Adrianna come with me. Think of what we could do. Together.”

Her face turned sharply away and when she pulled away Lani let her. His heart lurched and broke. He hung his head and he didn’t notice she’d turned around again until her hand touched his face. “I hope you’re happy in the end, Lani.”

Lani swallowed and nodded his head. “I hope you’re happy too. This isn’t forever Adrianna. I promise.” She dropped her eyes and Lani knew she was skeptical. Lani bit his lip and turned to her desk. He started rummaging until he found a pen and pad of paper. He quickly scrawled a name and an address on the pad. “Here. If you ever want to reach me talk to this man. He’ll know where to find me. If you ever need me I’ll come running.” Lani promised.

He pressed the note into her hand when she didn’t reach for it. It was time for Lani to make a blind leap of faith. It was time for him to stop living by planning. He pulled Adrianna into a hug and luckily she returned it. “Take care of Caroline,” he said and in the next moment he was gone. He had one more errand to take care of before he fled to the wind.

As the distance between them grew Lani’s heart grew hard and stony to the world. No mercy, no pity. No honor among thieves.

Finding the right window was easy and without a word he stopped at the edge of the prison fence. He saw people start running but he wasn’t worried. He moved easily with the forces he worked. With a blast of his fist the wall of the penitentiary blasted out. Leroy Brown, Lani’s boss stretched and started to stroll toward the gate. Guards reacted, alarms blared but nothing touched Lani or his boss.

The fence bent as his boss approached and his boss strolled through. “Good job, man, I’m glad I have a man like you.” His boss said.

Lani smiled and shook his head. “We had a deal. Your freedom,” Lani waved his hand at the destruction, “For mine.” He pressed his hand to his chest.

His boss held out his hand and Lani took it. “Then we are peers, Lani Hunter. I look forward to seeing your rise. Good luck.”

Lani smiled and just on time a car screeched to a halt before them. “Good luck,” Lani said and waved a hand as his boss got in and the car sped away.

Looking around Lani realized if he didn’t move quickly he would soon be overtaken. Good thing he was not holding back any longer. He rose into the wind a sewer lid giving his feet a firm ground. Lani had never successfully flown and he wasn’t even sure he had it in him now but dammit he was going to fly or he was going to die!

He spread his arms like wings and stretched his fingers feeling the breeze lick through his fingers. People were shooting at him now and he laughed as their bullets flew away from him. With just the right angle he shot upward and outward. He crouched and his fingers grabbed the lid and soon he was rocketing through the air. He slowly let himself up and he felt the wind fill his lungs and he air ripple his hair. He hollered at the sky in a great gesture of joy and triumph letting the cry tapper off into laughter. This was what freedom tasted like and the world was his to command.


**Some dialogue based on lyrics of Defying Gravity**

[Vincent Meian]

((OOC - This story comes from this thread, in which a training session between Vincent and Adaryn is interrupted by a pair of phone calls. Addie leaves after hers, and in this AU her trainer doesn't follow right away. This is what happens when people don't follow their instincts.))



Too Late - ((Trigger Warning - Character death))



“I should have gone after her.”

“You couldn’t know-”

“She was acting strangely,” the tall man snapped, pain and bitterness in his features as he looked through the glass separating him from his student. This was his fault, his cross to bear. One more life on his shoulders, one that he could have spared if he only had just seen how much she’d been hurting.

A pale hand touched his arm, and it took an effort not to flinch. “Vincent, it’s not your fault.”

“It was my negligence, my blindness, my blade.”

“But it wasn’t your choice. It was hers.”

Amber eyes finally turned from the glass, looking into crystalline blue with the despair of someone who had lost more than he’d ever expected. “She trusted me, Nakia,” he muttered softly. “She trusted me to help her and protect her, and I failed her.”

“You didn’t put that knife in her arm,” the doctor stated firmly, trying desperately to get that information through her husband’s guilt. “You didn’t tell her that her life was meaningless, nor did you ignore her cries for help. You can’t be everywhere at once, my love, and you can’t see the future.”

There was silence for a moment as he held her gaze, then more as he looked away, back to the room beyond the glass. “I should call her parents,” he whispered.

“I’m sure Sean has already done so.”

“Will they be arriving soon?”

“...I don’t know.”

The conversation dropped again, and a scarred hand touched the glass gently, as if the girl beyond were merely sleeping and any sound would wake her. But those green eyes wouldn’t open again, and the flesh surrounding them had lost all color and warmth. She was gone, and he could have stopped it. If only he’d noticed her oddness sooner, if he’d gone after her right away, if he hadn’t hesitated when he found the door locked... so much time lost, and with each second more liquid life spilled.

He could live with this; he could endure. He had so many times before. But this guilt would never leave him - was he even fit to be a teacher when he could not understand his own students?

“I will stay until they arrive.”

“...All right. But I’m coming back for you if they’re not here by tomorrow.” The trainer gave no response, and after a short pause the pale woman walked away, her feet scuffing slightly on the hospital linoleum. Either he didn’t notice or was ignoring the departure, and it was only after the girl had been moved to the morgue that he moved from his post to sit. To rest his weary head in his hands, hands that had been cleaned but were still stained with her blood.

[“Please forgive me, Adaryn.”]

And he wept.



((Fin.))

[Dr. Sean Neville]

((OOC: After the intervention, Sean and Josh escape and have a heart-to-heart on their own terms, rather than Josh hiding from Sean afterward. This renders several subsequent canon reconciliation threads moot.)

Rewrite

I'm workin' on my rewrite, that's right.
Gonna change the ending,
Throw away the title,
Toss it in the trash.

“You can use my bedroom to talk,” the child psychologist said as he ushered Sean and Josh through his house. “I hope you’ll understand that I can’t let you out until you’ve had a heart-to-heart.”

Josh protested loudly, but Sean said nothing. Instead, he let Ben lead them up the stairs to his bedroom; his face remained impassive when the door was shut, and the click of the locking mechanism signaled that they were, officially, prisoners.

“Now what are we going to do?” Josh asked mournfully. The attorney went to the door and pulled at the doorknob, distressed but not surprised to find that it had locked.

The telepath was thoughtful for a moment, before he replied, “We can either humor them, or we can do something utterly undignified.”

“How undignified?”

Sean turned to look at the window. Josh followed his gaze and frowned when realization dawned on him. “You can’t be serious!”

“We either try that, or we humor them.”

It was Josh’s turn to be thoughtful. “Could we even fit?”

“We’ll fit.”

“...what do we have to do?” Josh’s voice managed somehow to be more resigned than his facial expression.

The telepath’s tone was devoid of emotion. “Strip the bed and hand me the sheets.”

************

“Where did you learn how to do this?” Josh asked, as he dubiously eyed the makeshift rope.

“A combination of the Boy Scouts and other extracurricular activities.” Sean tugged on the sheets, testing the knots for tensile strength. They seemed sturdy enough, although, unfortunately, there was no way to guarantee success with this endeavor. Tying one end to the post at the foot of the bed, he tossed the other end to the attorney.

“Extracurricular activities?”

“Felicity taught me-”

“Never mind.” The attorney most certainly did not want to muse on any of Sean’s exes, particularly not with how surreal the entire afternoon had proven to be so far. It was bad enough that they had been confronted by their friends in such a thoughtless and over-the-top manner. And that, as two men over the age of fifty, they were seriously considering escape through the window like a couple of teenagers. “What do I do with this?” He held up the sheet rope that the older man had tossed to him.

“Lower it gently out the window, and don’t stop until you run out of line.”

Josh obeyed the instruction, slowly feeding the line out the window until it became taut. “Now what?”

“One of goes first.”

Josh frowned, because it still didn’t look particularly safe or sturdy. “How do we decide that?”

The telepath also eyed the rope. “We have a Waiting for Godot problem, and I have a chivalry problem.”

The attorney instantly understood the reference. “You think you’ll break the line?”

“It’s a distinct possibility.” Sean moved closer to the window, peering down at the ground. “At the same time, I don’t want to make you test it.”

Josh appreciated the other man’s consideration. He also didn’t want them stranded here, and their former friends had made it plain that they would not be released without proof of a discussion to which the others in this house were not privy. “How about we flip for it?”

*********************

The telepath shimmied carefully down the bed sheet rope. The muscles in his abdomen ached from the effort; it had been so long since he had needed to engage in this type of physical effort.

“Is it holding up?” Josh called down from the window above.

“So far, so good!” Sean had to remain focused on the task, but, inch by inch, he neared the ground. Finally, when he thought he might gag from the pressure on his abdomen, he reached the snow-covered landscape, unfolded his body, and touched ground. Thank Heavens for having long legs.

“It should be safe!” The telepath called up to the younger man. He was mindful of the volume of his voice, although at this point he was nearly beyond caring. He was already out, and he had no qualms about going back in to rescue his friend. Besides, what would Ben, Cobalt, and Riley do with only one of them inside? They couldn’t have any meaningful conversation just the one of them. Moreover, since making bad relationship decisions wasn’t a problem recognized by the DSM-IV, Ben had no grounds to hold them. They had broken no laws, so there was no authority for a citizen’s arrest.

Josh eyed the rope critically, but then said, “I’m coming down.” He trusted Sean’s assessment, and it had been sturdy enough to support the older man. The attorney could be delusional in some ways, and he greatly admired his friend, but he acknowledged that – even with his own middle-aged belly – Sean outweighed him by more than a few pounds.

The attorney shimmied carefully down the bed sheet rope. All went well until his foot slipped from one of the knots, and he lost his perch. The friction from the sheets burned his hands, causing him to lose his grip and suddenly he was falling.

Josh scrambled to try to protect his face, holding his hands in front of him to brace for the impact.

He landed on something soft, before plunging into the snow.

“I’ve got you,” Sean wheezed. He was on his back in the snow with Josh on his chest, partially in his arms. The wind had been knocked out of him.

The attorney quickly scrambled to his feet. “Are you all right?”

The telepath nodded, coughing around his reassuring yes. Without asking, Josh held his hand out to the older man and helped to pull Sean to his feet. Neither man wore a coat, since those had been taken when they had first crossed the threshold of Ben’s house.

It was too cold for them to drag their feet out here. Plus, they were each covered in snow which would soak through to their underwear as soon as it began to melt.

“Let’s go to the car,” Sean encouraged. Josh eagerly agreed. As quickly as possible, they walked around the house, leaving two conspicuous sets of footprints in the snow that covered Ben’s property.

The telepath unlocked the doors as soon as they were within arm’s length of his van. He ushered the attorney inside first, before he all but dove into the driver’s seat. Responsible as always, he waited for Josh to pull on his seatbelt, before he put the vehicle in reverse and backed out of Ben’s driveway.

The three men still inside came to the window in time to see them driving off the property. Sean offered them a wave in the rearview mirror before he set his entire focus on driving. Crisis averted.

The two men drove in silence for several minutes, before Josh asked, “Do you think they’re right?”

“About what? Locking us in a room so we had to crawl out the window? Or lying to us in the first place so we missed the Super Bowl?”

The attorney shook his head; he knew that their friends had been wrong about both of those courses of actions. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that their accusations contained a valid point or two. Were he honest with himself and with the older man, he would admit that such concerns kept him up at night and caused him to pull away from the telepath after one of their more embarrassing encounters. Like the Poker Party. Like Riley’s New Year’s party. “That one of us is going to get hurt because of...” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

“Do you want to stop being friends?”

“No! Of course not!” Josh rushed to assure the psychiatrist of that. The absolute last thing in the world that he wanted to lose was Sean’s friendship.

“Neither do I.” The telepath shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a hazard of caring about someone else: making yourself emotionally vulnerable to them. The only way to avoid it is to miss out on all of the best things in life.”

The attorney nodded, because such idioms always made such sense when his friend spoke them. Still, the whole afternoon nagged at him, and isolated comments weighed on his mind. When they reached the stoplight at the main intersection downtown, he asked, “What...ahh...what did you mean that long-term relationships aren’t for everyone?”

“That Riley was the only person in that room had the requisite experience to have this discussion, and even he had no idea what he was talking about.” Sean shook his head to himself, shivering as the snow on his chest melted and seeped through his sweater. “They don’t have the slightest conception of what it’s like to live and love as a telepath, and yet they had the audacity to take that confrontational tone and make accusations while seeping in privilege?”

He took a deep breath and shook his head again. When he spoke, his voice was steadier. “It was thoughtless of them, and I know that they believed that they were helping, but this was cruel. It was cruel in ways I can’t begin to articulate, and I’m sorry that they dragged you into this.”

“I’m sorry they dragged you into this.” Josh lowered his voice, so that it was barely above a whisper as he added, “It ahh it hurts to see you hurt that way.”

“I know. That’s part of love. I feel the same way.” The telepath returned his attention to the road, navigating the cars parked alongside the clubs that littered the street. Everyone was in place for the football game that they had missed.

Josh blinked behind his glasses, unsure of whether he had heard that right. He knew that the emotional talk from earlier, combined with the accusations had set him on edge, and he truly wanted to do nothing to rub Sean’s face in the situation or to further cause harm to the telepath. Still, he felt he had to ask. “Pardon?”

“Love is a powerful motivator.”

“You...ahh...love me?” The word was so vague. They were best friends, and of course there was love there.

“I never stopped loving you.” The telepath turned to look at the younger man briefly. “I wouldn’t say that in front of them, because it isn’t their business and they can’t begin to understand.”

“I...ahh, I love you too.” It felt safer saying those words when Sean had taken the risk first. And, since they were ambiguous, he could pretend that he had meant the sentiment only as friendship, while secretly pretending Sean had meant something deeper. Sean loved him, and that was something.

They lapse into silence for the duration of the ride. When they pulled into the attorney’s driveway, Sean unlocked the doors and said, “I meant what I said.”

“I know. I meant it too.” Josh made no attempt to leave the van despite the freedom to do so.

“All of it.” Then, unexpectedly, the telepath reached for the younger man’s hand, and he brushed his fingers across Josh’s palm. “We should talk tomorrow, on our own schedule.”

The attorney felt his heart flutter. Fear and anxiety mingled with anticipation and the embarrassing jolt of arousal he felt from that simple touch. He had to have misinterpreted something.

Then he felt a warm summer breeze in his mind, the telltale sign that Sean was there. The look in the telepath’s blue eyes told him that, perhaps, he hadn’t misinterpreted after all. “I’ll meet you at lunch,” he promised.

For the first time all afternoon, Sean smiled. Josh mirrored his expression.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Hands Clean

This takes place if Penelope had never painted over her ceiling in this thread. If Penelope had never painted it, Lucy would have likely just dropped off Penny's bag at her dorm and things would have remained unresolved.

University of Vermont 2017

“Congratulations, Miss Blaise.” Penelope looked at the document that the professor held out. After a moment, she took it into her own hands, expression remaining unreadable as she flipped through it. A blur of memories flashed through her mind – various people reading it, passing it along the line of publishers.

“Thank you, Professor Bennant.”

The man gave a short laugh and shook his head lightly. “You should be happy.”

The Brit looked up at him, her expression only changing to offer a small, polite smile. “I am, really.” And she was.

“Well, I’m proud of you, Blaise.” he said, offering a more genuine smile than his student had, “It’s not every day a sophomore gets her work published.”

“Thank you, professor,” Penelope nodded, “I’ll see you Monday.” She turned, heading out the door without another word. As she closed the door behind her, she heard the man call out something about trying not to party too hard. It was then, only for a second, that the corner of her lip twitched upward. As if she’d party.

Just as quickly the smile was there, it was gone again as the Brit walked down the hallway of the university. She took in a slow breath. Yes, this was good. She was happy, honestly, but there was no need to show her excitement to the world around her.

The psychometrist once again glanced down at the paper in her hands as she turned a corner, and suddenly was forcefully impacted by someone who was, too, trying to take the corner.

Penelope dropped her paper, but somehow managed to keep herself standing, which was more fortunate than the other, who had hit the ground. The Brit didn’t bother to see who she had ran into, but rather focused on picking up her paper.

“Jesus fucking—who the fuck do think—“

“Lucy?” Penelope whirled her head around at the familiar accent, her lips instinctively pressing into a hard line.

And there she was.

It seemed the Australian was just as surprised as herself, because for once in her life, the girl was silent.

…But only for a moment.

“Well, are you gonna help me up or what?” Lucy extended her hand towards the Brit.

Penelope looked at the ink manipulators hand briefly before slowly stepping towards her. She reached out, taking Lucy’s hand and pulling her up. There was a split second of hesitation before she retracted.

Had it really been three years?

“Why are you here?” Penelope asked, immediately catching sight of the amused smile tugging at Lucy’s lips, likely at Penelope’s direct attitude.

“Sawyer.” Lucy replied just as shortly, sliding her hands into the pockets of her skinny jeans.

“Oh.”

Any sign of amusement disappeared on the Australian, and she suddenly had the urge to explain. Why she felt the need to was completely lost to the ink manipulator. “We’re not—“

“It’s fine.” Penelope cut in, “I don’t care.”

“Fine.” Lucy tensed. It was just like they had been years ago. Once one was hostile, the other usually followed suit.

This wasn’t Lucy’s style. She was loud, passionate. It was too tense for what was supposed to be a day out with her bub.

“It was nice seeing you.” The Brit finally spoke again, an involuntary smile took over her features. She immediately took in a long breath and continued down the hall.

“It was.” Lucy said finally, only once the Brit was out of earshot. She watched as Penny walked down the hallway for a moment before heading in the opposite direction.