Title: Cold heart
Series: The Simpsons
Pairing: SkinnerXEdna, slight NedXEdna and NedXMaude
A snow storm woke her up. It was the third time this week Edna had woken up at the middle of the night because of the sound of the sound of the cold winds.
How she hated winters now.
She remembered how Skinner used to take her ice-skating on winters back when they were together and that made her hate them even more.
She looked at her husband sleeping next to her. He was mumbling her name, again… third time that week. Every time she woke up in the middle of the night she heard him calling Maude in his sleep. She sighed as she went back to sleep, being only able to stay awake the rest of the night.
The following morning he brought her breakfast to bed. It was Saturday, and Rodd and Todd were out already playing in the snow.
"Good morning, love" he happily greeted her as he kissed her forehead and handed her breakfast.
"Good morning Ned…"
"What´s wrong, honey?" he asked, sitting next to her.
"You were mumbling in your sleep again" she simply replied.
He immediately understood what she meant.
"I´m… I´ve just been tired from the week, so…"
She cut him off before he finished.
"Ned, it´s not just it. Every night I hear the same thing…" she tried not to cry "Ned, do you still love Maude?"
She knew he couldn´t lie. And he didn´t lie. Ned looked at the floor, unable to face her.
"Yes…" he simply answered.
"Ned, can you promise you´ll forget her?"
She wasn´t sure if she wanted to know the answer, but her hope soon died.
"No"
She swallowed hard, fighting the tears that were starting to form in her eyes.
"I´m sorry Edna… Maude was… Maude is still my wife. She´s gone now, but she´s still the one I truly love. I can´t promise you her spot in my heart…"
The words burned in her throat before she even spoke.
"Then Ned… I think we can´t be anymore…"
That night seemed colder than normal. The park was silent and deserted.
In a way, it was better for Edna. She was sitting alone, so no one could see how she was…
Hours ago, she had talked to Ned and his sons. Ned helped her getting her things back to her house, and he agreed with their divorce. He even offered to help her with anything she needed, being as kind as usual. Deep down, she knew he´d never love her like he loved Maude. For a moment she wondered if she had actually loved him. Their breakup was a little painful, more for her than for him, and she remembered how Skinner was pained with their own breakup.
She pulled a cigar as she looked at the snow covering the park.
"You really should stop smoking; those things are bad for you" a familiar voice told her.
She looked to see it was Skinner as he sat next to her.
"What do you want?" she asked coldly.
"I wanted to see how you were doing."
"What, so you´re stalking me now?" she asked not hiding her anger.
"No" he simply answered "I went to the school to work on some papers and I got out a little later. I was passing through here when I saw you here alone. I know you enough to tell there´s something wrong… I´m worried about you."
"I appreciate your gesture, but I think I´m old enough to watch my back!" she replied, trying to hide her urge to talk to him and let him comfort her. She had never forgot him, even with the hurt he caused her.
"Yet, here you are alone in the cold so late at night. If you don´t want me here I´ll go, but I just want you to know I´m not helping you for any interest."
He waited for her answer, and after some minutes in silence she finally spoke.
"I´m getting divorced. Ned didn´t love me."
She tried to find any expression on his face.
"I´m sure you´re happy now but-"
"No, I´m not" he cut her off "I can´t be happy if you´re sad, because I still love you."
"No you don´t. You just-"
"I do" he cut her off again "I know with all my strength I do. If you don´t love me, that´s different, but I never stopped loving you."
She finally lost it. She got up, tears running across her face a she shouted, letting ou all her anger.
"THEN WHY? WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO ME? You hurt me so much! Why did you leave me?" she cried as he got up to face her "Why?"
He hugged her, and he was surprised she didn´t pull away or slapped him.
"I´m sorry, Edna… I know I was a jerk… I was so scared of screwing up I ended up ruining everything… I know you don´t deserve me, but can you ever forgive me?"
She knew he was serious.
"I´m so sorry… I… I love you so much… what I´ve done haunts me every night" he told.
She looked him in his eyes, and she saw how he truly regretted it.
"Seymour… I still have feelings for you… "
"Then… will you give me a second chance? Please…" he begged her.
She gave him a kiss as her answer. And he gladly kissed her back.
"My love... you just made me the happiest man on earth" he whispered.